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THE 


HISTORY   OF  COHOES, 
NEW   YORK. 


,    Arfhur 


THE 


HISTORY  OF   COHOES, 


NEW  YORK, 


EARLIEST  SETTLEMENT  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 


ALBANY: 
JOEL    MUNSELL. 

1877. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  preparation  of  a  sketch  of  the  history  of  Cohoes 
was  commenced  by  the  writer  at  the  request  of  the 
Hon.  D.  J.  Johnston,  mayor  of  the  city,  made  in  ac 
cordance  with  a  proclamation  issued  by  the  president, 
calling  attention  to  the  following  resolution  passed  by 
Congress,  May  13, 1876  : 

"It  is  hereby  recommended  to  the  people  of  the 
several  states  that  they  assemble  in  their  several  coun 
ties  or  towns  on  the  approaching  Centennial  Anniver 
sary  of  our  National  Independence,  and  that  they  cause 
to  have  delivered  on  such  day  an  historical  sketch  of 
said  county  or  town  from  its  formation,  and  that  a 
copy  of  said  sketch  be  filed,  in  print  or  manuscript, 
in  the  clerk's  office  of  said  county,  and  an  additional 
copy,  in  print  or  manuscript,  be  filed  in  the  office  of 
the  librarian  of  congress,  to  the  intent  that  a  complete 
record  may  thus  be  obtained  of  the  progress  of  our 
institutions  during  the  first  centennial  of  their  ex 
istence." 

The  understanding  was  that  the  sketch  should  be 
published  in  one  of  the  city  papers  in  case  it  was  not 
completed  by  July  4th.  It  was  found,  however,  after 


vi.  INTRODUCTION. 

sonic  progress  had  been  made,  that  if  limited  to  the 
length  suitable  for  production  in  the  manner  proposed, 
the  history  would  in  many  particulars  be  incomplete 
and  unsatisfactory,  and  it  was  accordingly  decided  to 
enlarge  it  to  the  form  in  which  it  now  appears. 

As  the  manufacturing  interests  of  Cohoes  have 
always  been  its  most  important  feature,  their  history 
forms  in  a  great  measure  that  of  the  place  and  con 
sequently  occupies  a  large  share  of  the  following  pages. 

An  effort  has  been  made  to  relate  in  addition  the 
principal  facts  in  the  early  history  of  this  locality,  and 
to  describe  the  general  progress  of  the  place  since  the 
first  steps  were  taken,  fifty  years  ago,  towards  the 
development  of  its  resources,  giving  accounts  of  its 
various  institutions  and  of  the  most  important  local 
events. 

Great  care  has  been  taken  to  insure  accuracy  in  all  re 
spects —  especially  in  regard  to  names  and  dates,  though 
in  a  work  of  this  sort,  abounding  in  details,  it  is  of 
course  impossible  to  avoid  a  certain  number  of  errors. 
Whenever  it  has  been  necessary  to  depend  for  data 
upon  the  memory  of  individuals,  the  information  thus 
obtained  has  been  verified,  if  possible,  by  a  comparison 
of  the  versions  given  by  different  persons,  and  by 
reference  to  such  records  as  are  in  existence.  Ex 
cept  in  the  case  of  chapters  I  and  VIII,  an  arrange 
ment  of  facts  in  their  chronological  order  rather  than 
according  to  subject  has  been  adopted,  in  the  belief 


INTRODUCTION.  vii. 

that  a  better  idea  would  thus  be  afforded  of  the  gene 
ral  growth  and  progress  of  the  place.  Although  this 
method  makes  the  narrative  at  times  disconnected,  it 
appears  preferable  on  the  whole,  since  its  disadvan 
tages  have  been  obviated  as  far  as  possible  by  foot  notes 
and  the  full  index  at  the  close  of  the  volume. 

The  materials  used  in  the  preparation  of  the  book, 
aside  from  those  obtained  from  private  sources,  have 
been  for  the  greater  part  furnished  by  the  files  of  the 
Cohoes  Cataract,  Cohoes  Daily  News,  Troy  Times,  and 
Troy  Press.  Many  facts  have  also  been  taken  from 
the  valuable  publications  of  Mr.  Joel  Munsell  concern 
ing  the  history  of  Albany. 

The  writer  would  here  express  his  obligations  to 
the  many  friends  who  have  assisted  him  in  his  labors, 
particularly  to  his  father,  James  H.  Masten,  to  whom 
he  is  indebted  for  constant  aid  and  advice.  Among 
others  to  whom  acknowledgments  are  especially  due 
may  be  mentioned  Messrs.  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  Lucien 
Fitts,  Henry  D.  Fuller  and  Nicholas  En  Earl  of  Cohoes ; 
Miss  E.  Howe  and  Mr.  Isaac  I.  Fonda  of  Waterford ; 
Mr.  Timothy  Bailey  of  Ballston  ;  Mr.  Evert  Van  Der 
Mark  of  Lansingburg,  Mr.  Oliver  C.  Hubbard  of 
West  Troy  and  Mr.  Chas.  A.  Olmsted  of  Lockport, 
N.  Y.,  who  have  furnished  much  valuable  information 
which  could  not  otherwise  have  been  obtained. 

The  writer  is  also  indebted  to  Messrs.  T.  Gr.  Young- 
love,  D.  J.  Johnston  and  Harvey  Clute  of  Cohoes;  Mrs. 


viii.  INTRODUCTION. 

Hugh  White  of  Waterford,  Mr.  A.  A.  Peebles  of 
Lansingburg,  and  Mr.  Charles  Van  Zandt  of  the  Van 
Rensselaer  office,  Albany,  for  access  to  important  docu 
ments,  and  to  Mr.  A.  J.  Weise  of  Troy  for  the  use  of 
the  cut  of  the  Van  Schaick  House  and  other  favors. 

ARTHUR  H.  MASTEN. 
Cohoes,  December,  1876. 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


EARLY  ACCOUNTS  OF  THIS  LOCALITY,  FROM  THE  WRITINGS 
OF  VISITORS  TO  THE  FALLS. 


is  well  known  that  the  word  CoJioes  is  of  Indian 
origin,  and  has  been  the  designation  (with  varied  orthogra 
phy)  of  this  locality  from  the  earliest  times.  Its  exact 
derivation  and  meaning,  however,  have  not  been  agreed 
upon.  The  different  versions  of  Indian  legends  all  have  as 
their  most  prominent  feature,  a  canoe  carried  over  the  Falls 
by  the  current,  and  this  fact  has  furnished  the  derivation 
generally  accepted.  The  signification  —  "a  canoe  falling"  — 
has  been  given  by  almost  every  writer  on  the  subject  since 
Spafford,  who  wrote  in  1813  :  "  The  name  is  of  indiginal 
origin,  and  like  the  most  such,  has  an  appropriate  allusion. 
Cah-hoos  or  Ca-hoos,  a  canoe  falling,  as  explained  by  the 
late  learned  Indian  sachem,  Brandt,  of  illustrious  memory." 
In  Morgan's  League  of  the  Ho-de-sau-nee  or  Iroquois  is  a 
list  of  the  settlements  in  the  different  territories,  and  under 
the  head  of  Ga-ne-a-ga-o-no-ga  or  Mohawk  territory,  the 
author  gives  "  Cohoes  Falls:  In  Mohawk  dialect  Ga-ha- 
oose,  meaning  the  ship-wrecked  canoe."  Many  persons,  on 
the  contrary,  whose  knowledge  of  the  Indian  dialects  en 
titles  their  opinion  to  respect,  give  another  interpretation  to 
the  word,  which  is  stated  as  follows  in  an  article  published 
in  the  Schenectady  Reflector,  in  1857  :  "  The  term  in  ques 
tion  is  in  the  Mohegan  language  ;  its  signification  we  cannot 
express  without  circumlocution,  unless  we  use  the  word 
pitch  or  plunge,  or  coin  a  new  substantive,  overshoot.  The 
1 


2  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1642. 

Canadian  Indians  designate  by  the  name  cahoos  those  un 
pleasant  hollows  which  occur  in  roads  covered  with  snow, 
and  which  sleigh  riders  vulgarly  call  pitch  holes  or  more 
commonly  cradle  holes"  This  derivation  seems  perhaps  the 
more  reasonable,  though  the  other  has  the  sanction  of  long 
use  and  general  acceptance.  Whatever  the  meaning  of  the 
word,  it  is  certain  that  the  name  of  our  city  had  its  origin 
in  something  connected  with  the  Falls.  This  being  so,  and 
since  the  town  has  always  been  more  or  less  associated  with 
the  Falls  in  the  public  mind,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  give  in 
this  sketch  some  of  the  earliest  references  to  them. 

Though  the  history  of  Cohoes  as  a  town  of  importance 
commenced  barely  half  a  century  ago,  the  spot  on  which 
the  city  stands  was  well  known  both  abroad  and  in  this 
country  at  a  very  early  day.  The  natural  beauties  of  the 
locality  brought  here  many  of  the  travelers  who  visited 
America  in  the  17th  and  18th  centuries.  Albany,  then  one 
of  the  most  important  cities  in  the  country,  was  one  of  the 
first  places  visited  by  foreigners,  and  as  the  Falls  were 
among  the  most  accessible  objects  of  interest  to  persons 
staying  there,  we  find  accounts,  or  at  all  events  mention  of 
them,  in  a  large  number  of  the  books  of  American  travel. 

Allusions  to  the  Falls  are  also  frequent  in  the  English 
and  French  documentary  history  of  the  seventeenth  and 
eighteenth  centuries,  having  reference  generally  to  the  navi 
gation  of  the  river. 

The  earliest  account  of  the  place  which  I  have  been  able 
to  find  is  that  of  the  Rev.  Johannes  Megapolensis,  the  first 
minister  of  the  gospel  in  Albany,  who  settled  there  in  1642. 
It  was  contained  in  a  description  which  he  wrote  to 
friends  in  Holland  of  the  manners  and  habits  of  the  Mohawk 
Indians,  and  is  as  follows: 

"  Through  this  land  runs  an  excellent  river  about  five  hun 
dred  or  six  hundred  paces  wide.  This  river,  comes  out  of  the 
Mahakas  country,  about  four  miles  north  of  us.  There  it 


1656.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  3 

flows  between  two  high  rocky  banks,  and  falls  from  a  height 
equal  to  that  of  a  church,  with  such  a  noise  that  we  can 
sometimes  hear  it  with  us.  In  the  beginning  of  June 
twelve  of  us  took  a  ride  to  see  it.  When  we  came  there 
we  saw  not  only  the  river  falling  with  such  a  noise  that  we 
could  hardly  hear  one  another,  but  the  water  boiling  and 
dashing  with  such  force  in  still  weather,  that  it  was  all  the 
time  as  if  it  were  raining  ;  and  the  trees  on  the  hills  there 
(which  are  as  high  as  Schooler  Duyn)  had  their  leaves  all 
the  time  wet  exactly  as  if  it  rained.  The  water  is  as  clear 
as  crystal  and  as  fresh  as  milk.  I  and  another  with  me  saw 
there  in  clear  sunshine,  when  there  was  not  a  cloud  in  the 
sky,  as  we  stood  above  upon  the  rocks,  directly  opposite 
where  the  river  falls  in  a  great  abyss,  the  half  of  a  rainbow, 
or  a  quarter  circle  of  the  same  color  with  the  rainbow  in  the 
sky.  And  when  we  had  gone  about  ten  or  twelve  rods 
further  downwards  from  the  fall,  along  the  river,  we  saw  a 
complete  rainbow,  or  half  a  circle  appearing  clearly  in  the 
water  just  the  same  as  if  it  had  been  in  the  clouds,  and  this 
is  always  to  be  seen  by  those  who  go  there.  In  this  river  is 
great  plenty  of  several  kinds  of  fish,  pike,  eels,  perch,  lam 
preys,  suckers,  cat  fish,  sun  fish,  shad,  bass,  etc.  In  the  spring, 
in  May,  the  perch  are  so  plenty  that  one  man  with  a  hook 
and  line,  can  catch  in  one  hour  as  many  as  ten  or  twelve 
can  eat.  My  boys  have  caught  in  less  than  an  hour,  fifty, 
each  a  foot  long.  They  have  a  three  pronged  instrument 
with  which  they  fish,  and  draw  up  frequently  two  or  three 
perch  at  once.  There  is  also  in  the  river  a  great  plenty  of 
sturgeon,  which  we  Christians  do  not  eat,  but  the  Indians 
eat  them  greedily. '  In  this  river,  too,  are  very  beautiful 
islands,  containing,  ten,  twenty,  thirty,  fifty  and  seventy 
morgens'2  of  land." 

The  Description  of  New  Netherlands  published  in  Am 
sterdam  in  1656,  byAdriaen  Van  Der  Donck,:j  contained  some 
interesting  accounts  of  his  explorations  in  this  vicinity, 
among  them  the  following  concerning  the  Falls  : 


1  Dr.  Mitchill  (in  Coll.  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.,  i,  41),  says:  "No  particular  path  wus 
selected  by  the  sturgeons.    They  seem  to  have  ewam  at  large,  as  they  do  at  present. 
But  they  assembled  for  the  propagation  of  their  kind  at  the  bottom  of  the  Cohoea 
or  great  falls  of  the  Mohock."    John  Maude,  from  whose  account  a  quotation  is 
given  further  on,  stated  that  the  river  then  (1800)  furnished  pike,  bass  and  trout. 

2  A  morgen  is  about  two  acres. 

3  New  York  Historical  Collections. 


4  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1656. 

"  The  other  arm  of  the  North  River  runs  by  four  sprouts 
as  we  have  related  to  the  great  falls  of  the  Maquas  Kill 
(Mohawk  River)  which  the  Indians  name  the  Chahoos  and 
our  nation  the  Great  Fall,  above  which  the  river  is  again 
several  hundred  yards  wide  and  the  falls  we  estimate  to  be 
one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  feet  high.1  The 
water  glides  over  the  falls  as  smooth  as  if  it  ran  over  an 
even  wall  and  fell  over  the  same.  The  precipice  is  formed 
of  firm  blue  rock  ;  near  by  and  below  the  falls  there  stand 
several  rocks,  which  appear  splendid  in  the  water,  rising 
above  it  like  high  turf  heaps,  apparently  from  eight,  sixteen 

to   thirty  feet   high The  Indians,  when  they 

travel  by  water  and  come  to  trade,  usually  come  in  canoes 
made  of  the  bark  of  trees,  which  they  know  how  to  con 
struct.  When  they  come  near  the  falls  they  land  and  carry 
their  boats  and  their  lading  some  distance  below  the  falls 
and  proceed  on  their  voyage,  otherwise  they  would  be  driven 
over  the  falls  and  destroyed.  An  occurrence  of  this  kind 
took  place  here  in  our  time.  An  Indian  whom  I  have  known 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  child  with  sixty  beaver  skins 
descended  the  river  in  his  canoe  in  the  spring  when  the 
water  runsrapid  and  the  current  is  strongest  for  the  purpose 
of  selling  his  beavers  to  the  Netherlander.  This  Indian 
carelessly  approached  too  near  the  Falls  before  he  discovered 
his  danger,  and  notwithstanding  his  utmost  exertions  to 
gain  the  land,  his  frail  bark  with  all  on  board  was  swept 
over  bythe  rapid  current  and  down  the  Falls  ;  his  wife  and 
child  were  killed,  his  bark  shattered  to  pieces,  his  cargo  of 
furs  damaged.  But  his  life  was  preserved.  I  have  fre 
quently  seen  the  Indian  and  have  heard  him  relate  the  peril 
ous  occurrence  or  adventure." 

The  following  version  of  one  of  the  Indian  legends  con 
cerning  the  Fall,  given  in  the  Sentimental  American  Tra 
veller,  may  have  had  its  foundation  in  the  account  of  Van 
Der  Donck,  above  quoted : 

"  Many  years  since,  an  Indian  and  his  squaw,  having  made 
too  free  with  the  bottle,  were  carelessly  paddling  along  the 
Mohawk  in  their  canoe.  On  a  sudden,  perceiving  themselves 
drawn  by  the  current  and  hurried  down  the  stream  to  the 
dreadful  cataract,  looking  upon  their  fate  as  inevitable,  they 


1  The  correct  figures,  according  to  measurements  taken  by  Mr.  Gwynn,  proprietor 
of  the  Cataract  House,  in  1875  are ;  breadth  1,140  feet,  height  86  feet. 


1656.  HISTORY  OF  COIIOES.  5 

composed  themselves  to  die  with  resolution,  in  a  manner 
worthy  their  ancestors.  They  drank  the  last  dregs  of  the 
intoxicating  cup  and  began  the  melancholy  death  song. 
Occuna  was  dashed  into  pieces  against  the  rocks  ;  his  faith 
ful  consort  escaped,  but  by  what  miracle  has  never  been 
known.  The  Indians  of  their  tribe  have  preserved  this  in 
cident  by  faithful  tradition,  and  as  often  as  any  of  them 
pass  the  fatal  spot  they  make  a  solemn  halt  and  commemo 
rate  the  death  of  Occuna." 

Another  form  of  the  legend  is  the  following,  which  went 
the  rounds  of  the  newspapers  in  1857: 

"  A  squaw,  being  fatigued  on  a  hot  summer's  day,  betook 
herself  to  rest  in  a  canoe  a  short  distance  above  the  Falls. 
She  had  hardly  taken  time  to  lay  herself  down  in  the  bottom 
of  the  canoe  before  it  became  loosened  from  its  moorings 
and  the  frail  bark  was  hurled  on  by  the  current  to  the  brink 
of  the  precipice.  She  gathered  her  blanket  over  her  head 
and  resigned  herself  to  her  fate,  expecting  to  be  dashed 
to  pieces  on  the  rocks  below.  Heaven  had  however  other 
wise  decreed.  Her  boat  had  taken  the  direction  which 
brought  her  to  that  point  of  the  precipice  where  there  was  the 
greatest  quantity  of  water.  She  was  picked  up  shortly 
after,  some  distance  below  the  Falls,  senseless  through  fright 
but  otherwise  unscathed." 

Van  Der  Donck  said,  elsewhere  :  "  I  cannot  forbear  to 
mention  that  in  the  year  1647,  in  the  month  of  March,  when 
by  a  great  freshet,  the  water  was  fresh  almost  to  the  great 
bay,  there  were  two  whales  of  tolerable  size,  up  the  river, 
the  one  turned  back,  but  the  other  stranded,  and  stuck  not 
far  from  the  great  Fall  of  the  Chahoos."1 

The  following  account  of  this  occurrence  is  compiled  from 
O'Callaghan's  History  of  New  Netherland: 

"  The  winter  which  had  just  terminated,  was  remarkably 


1  Judge  Benson,  in  an  article  on  the  Dutch  names  of  Albany  and  vicinity  (Annals 
of  Albany,  vol.  2),  quotes  this  passage  and  says  :  u  The  lands  immediately  opposite 
to  Albany,  and  for  a  distance  along  and  from  the  river,  the  Dutch  denoted  as  Het 
greene  bosch,  the  pine  woods,  corrupted  to  Greenbush.  The  mouths  of  the  Mo!  och 
they  distinguished  as  the  Spruytes,  corrupted  to,  and  which  may  also  possibly  pass 
for  a  translation,  the  Sprouts.  The  larger  island  formed  by  the  sprouts  they  called 
Walvisch  Island,  Whale  Island."  This  name,  however,  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  in  general  use. 


6  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1660. 

long  and  severe.  The  North  River  closed  at  Rensselaerswyck 
on  the  25th  November,  and  remained  frozen  some  four 
months.  A  very  high  freshet,  unequalled  since  1639,  fol 
lowed,  which  destroyed  a  number  of  horses  in  their  stables, 
nearly  carried  away  the  fort  (Fort  Orange,  at  Albany), 
and  inflicted  considerable  other  damage  in  the  colonie.  '  A 
certain  fish  of  considerable  size,  snow  white  in  color,  round 
in  the  body,  and  blowing  water  out  of  its  head,'  made  at 
the  same  time  his  appearance,  stemming  the  impetuous 
flood.  What  it  portended,  '  God  the  Lord  only  knew.'  All 
the  inhabitants  were  lost  in  wonder,  '  for  at  the  same  instant 
that  this  fish  appeared  to  us,  we  had  the  first  thunder  and 
lightning  this  year.'  The  public  astonishment  had  scarcely 
subsided  when  another  monster  of  the  deep,  estimated  at 
forty  feet  in  length,  was  seen,  of  a  brown  color,  having  fins 
on  his  back,  and  ejecting  water  in  like  manner,  high  in  the 
air.  Some  seafaring  people  '  who  had  been  to  Greenland ' 
now  pronounced  the  strange  visitor  a  whale.  Intelligence 
was  shortly  after  received  that  it  had  grounded  on  an  island 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Mohawk,  and  the  people  turned  out  in 
numbers  to  secure  the  prize,  which  was,  forthwith,  subjected 
to  the  process  of  roasting  in  order  to  extract  its  oil.  Though 
large  quantities  were  obtained,  yet  so  great  was  the  mass 
of  blubber,  the  river  was  covered  with  grease  for  three  weeks 
afterwards,  and  the  air  infected  to  such  a  degree  with  the 
stench,  as  the  fish  lay  rotting  on  the  strand,  that  the  smell 
was  perceptibly  offensive  for  two  (Dutch)  miles  to  leeward." 

The  journal  of  Jasper  Dankers  and  Peter  Sluyter,  two 
members  of  the  society  of  Labadists,  who  came  here  from 
Holland  to  procure  a  site  for  a  colony  of  their  sect,  contains 
the  following,  under  date  of  23d  April,  1660: 

"  Mr.  Sanders  having  provided  us  with  horses,  we  rode 
out  about  nine  o'clock,  to  visit  the  Cahoos,  which  is  the 
Falls  of  the  great  Maquas  l£il  (Mohawk  River), which  are  the 
greatest  falls  not  only  in  New  Netherland,  but  in  North 
America,  and  perhaps,  as  far  as  is  known,  in  the  whole  new 
world.  "  We  rode  for  two  hours  over  beautiful,  level,  tillable 
land  along  the  river  when  we  obtained  a  guide  who  was 
better  acquainted  with  the  road  through  the  woods.  He 
rode  before  us  on  horseback.  In  approaching  the  Cahoos 
from  this  direction  the  roads  are  hilly,  and  in  the  course  of 
half  an  hour  you  have  steep  hills,  deep  valleys  and  narrow 


1699.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  7 

paths,  which  run  round  the  precipices,  where  you  must  ride 
with  care,  in  order  to  avoid  the  danger  of  falling  over  them, 
as  sometimes  happens.  As  you  come  near  the  Falls,  you  can 
hear  the  roaring  which  makes  everything  tremble,  but  on 
reaching  them  and  looking  at  them,  you  see  something 
wonderful,  a  great  manifestation  of  God's  power  and  sove 
reignty,  of  his  wisdom  and  glory.  We  arrived  there  about 
noon.  They  are  on  one  of  the  two  branches  into  which  the 
North  River  is  divided  up  above,  of  almost  equal  size.  This 
one  turns  to  the  west  out  of  the  highlands,  and  coming 
here  finds  a  blue  rock  which  has  a  steep  side  as  long  as  the 
river  is  broad,  which,  according  to  my  calculation,  is  two 
hundred  paces  or  more,  and  rather  more  than  less,  and 
about  one  hundred  feet  high.  The  river  has  more  water  at 
one  time  than  another,  and  was  now  about  six  or  eight  feet 
deep.  All  this  volume  of  water  coming  on  this  side  fell 
headlong  upon  a  stony  bottom,  this  distance  of  an  hundred 
feet.  Any  one  may  judge  whether  that  was  not  a  spectacle, 
and  whether  it  would  not  make  a  noise.  There  is  a  con 
tinual  spray  thrown  up  by  the  dashing  of  the  water,  and 
when  the  sun  shines  the  figure  of  a  rainbow  may  be  seen 
through  it.  Sometimes  there  are  two  or  three  of  them  to 
be  seen,  one  above  the  other,  according  to  the  brightness  of 
the  sun  and  its  parallax.  There  was  now  more  water  than 
usual  in  consequence  of  its  having  rained  hard  for  several 
days,  and  the  snow  water  having  begun  to  run  down  from 
the  high  land." 

In  1699,  the  Earl  of  Bellomont,  who  was  engaged  in 
examining  the  country  for  the  best  means  of  procuring  naval 
supplies  for  the  king,  wrote  as  follows  to  the  Lords  of  Trade, 
in  a  report  dated  Boston,  Oct.  20: 

"  I  am  glad  to  find  there  are  pines  of  eleven  and  twelve 
feet  about,  for  either  of  those  sizes  is  big  enough  for  a  first- 
rate  ship,  as  I  am  informed,  and  I  am  satisfied  the  trees 
might  be  floated  down  the  great  Fall  (which  I  have  been  at) 
and  then  they  will  be  the  cheapest  in  the  world,  for  they 
may  be  floated  all  down  Hudson's  River  to  the  snip's  sides 
that  take  'em  in  to  carry  them  to  England.  In  summer, 
when  there  is  not  a  flood  in  the  river,  I  grant  it  would 
hazard  the  breaking  such  heavy  trees  to  let  them  tumble 
down  that  great  Fall,  but  in  winter  I  cannot  believe  there's 
the  least  hazard.  I  stood  looking  a  good  while  at  that 


8  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1701. 

Fall.  It  is  at  least  six  hundred  yards  broad  and  in  the 
highest  place  about  fifty  foot  high.  Tis  eight  miles  above 
Albany  due  north.  The  river  while  I  was  there  was  shal 
low  for  about  a  mile  below  the  Fall,  and  rocky  except  just 
under  the  Fall  which  the  people  that  were  my  guides  assured 
me  was  six  fathom  deep,  and  the  mighty  and  continual  fall 
of  water  seems  to  have  made  the  cavity  in  the  rock,  for  that 
it  was  solid  rock,  I  could  plainly  perceive  ;  to  be  sure  the 
season  of  the  year  must  be  watched  when  there  are  floods 
in  the  river  and  then  I  am  confident  those  trees  may  be 
safely  floated,  especially  if  the  water  be  so  deep  at  the  foot 
of  the  Fall  as  I  was  told,  for  then  the  depth  of  the  water 
will  break  the  fall  of  the  trees,  besides  there  is  an  art  to  save 
one  of  those  great  trees  from  breaking  with  its  fall  by  bind 
ing  lesser  trees  about  it." 

Another  report  on  the  same  subject  was  made  May  13, 
1701,  by  Robert  Livingston,  who  wrote  from  New  York: 

"  As  to  the  production  of  masts  and  other  naval  stores 
in  this  province  I  beg  leave  to  inform  your  Lordships  that 
I  am  told  those  that  are  already  cut  are  not  so  large  as  the 
dimensions  the  Earl  did  notify,  but  are  much  less,  and  are 
now  on  ground  above  the  Falls,  and  cannot  be  got  down 
until  the  fall  of  the  leafe,  that  the  rivers  are  up  ;  that  there 
is  no  experiment  made  of  getting  any  down  the  Fall.  Some 
are  of  opinion  that  the  fall  will  spoil  them,  some  otherwise. 
It  is  about  forty  foot  perpendicular  and  for  two  miles  above 
it,  shelving  ;  which  makes  the  stream  so  rapid  that  none 
dare  come  near  it  with  a  canoe.  I  doubt  the  masts  will 
receive  injury  in  the  falling." 

In  the  report  made  to  Queen  Anne  in  1709,  by  the  Board 
of  Trade,  in  regard  to  the  settlement  of  a  colony  of  Pala 
tines  (afterwards  established  near  Little  Falls)  the  country 
about  the  Mohawk  is  recommended  as  being  eligible,  and,  it 
is  added  : 

"  The  objection  that  may  be  made  to  the  seating  of  the 
Palatines  on  the  fore  mentioned  Mohaques  Kiver  is  the  Falls 
that  are  on  the  said  river  between  Schenectady  and  Albany 
which  will  be  an  interruption  in  the  water  carriage,  but 
that  may  be  easily  helped  by  a  short  land  carriage  of  about 
three  miles  at  the  west." 

It  was  decided  on  this  account  to  locate  the  colony  else- 


1711.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  9 

where,  as  appears  from  a  report  of  Perry,  Keill  and  Du  Pr6 
made  to  the  London  Board  of  Trade  llth  Dec.,  1711,  in 
which  it  is  stated  that  the  country  of  the  Maquaas  was  not 
selected  "because  their  lands  are  distant  from  the  rivei 
nearly  twenty  miles,  and  Schenectady  besides  a  waterfall 
of  six  hundred  feet  high,  hath  the  same  inconveniency  upon 
which  account  the  carriage  of  anything  would  cost  as  much 
if  not  more  than  its  worth." 

The  obstruction  afforded  by  the  Falls  to  navigation  is 
thus  noticed  in  a  report  dated  1757,  found  in  the  Paris  docu 
ments  : 

"  Going  from  Chenectedi  (Schenectady)  to  Orange  (Al 
bany)  there  is  a  Great  Fall  which  prevents  the  passage  of 
batteaux  so  that  everything  on  the  river  going  from  Che 
nectedi  to  Orange  passes  over  the  high  road  that  leads  there 
direct." 

In  the  Memoirs  of  an  American  Lady  by  Mrs.  Anne 
Grant,  who  was  living  in  Albany  between  1757  and  1768, 
appears  the  following  on  the  same  subject,  with  reference 
to  the  journeys  of  the  traders  from  Albany  into  the  Indian 
country  : 

"  There  commenced  their  toils  and  dangers  at  the  famous 
waterfall  called  the  Cohoes,  ten  miles  above  Albany  .... 
This  was  the  Rubicon  which  they  had  to  pass  before  they 
plunged  into  pathless  woods,  ingulphing  swamps  and  lakes, 
the  opposite  shores  of  which  the  eye  could  not  reach.  At 
the  Cohoes,  on  account  of  the  obstruction  formed  by  the 
torrent,  they  unloaded  their  canoe,  and  carried  it  above  a 
mile  further  on  their  shoulders,  returning  again  for  the 
cargo,  which  they  were  obliged  to  transport  in  the  same 
manner." 

In  1760,  the  Falls  were  visited  by  Gov.  Thos.  Pownall,  a 
man  who  held  several  positions  of  importance  in  this  country, 
and  was  prominent  among  those  Englishmen  who  at  home 
a  few  years  later,  defended  the  action  of  the  colonies  in 
revolting  from  the  crown.  Among  several  interesting 
volumes  which  he  published  in  regard  to  America  was  one 
2 


10  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1760. 

(London,  1776),  which  contained  a  map  of  this  country, 
and  topographical  descriptions  of  the  parts  he  had  visited. 
In  this  he  describes  at  considerable  length  the  appearance 
of  the  Falls,  saying  that  he  had  seen  them  once  before 
when  the  rocks  were  almost  entirely  bare,  but  at  this  time, 
June  25th,  the  volume  of  water  was  immense.  After  speak 
ing  of  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  the  sight  he  says  : 

"  In  other  parts,  where  it  shoots  over  in  a  sheet  of  water, 
there  is  a  peculiar  circumstance  which  struck  me,  and  which 
I  will  endeavor  to  explain  ;  there  are  every  now  and  then 
violent  explosions  of  air  which  burst  through  the  surface 
of  the  torrent,  and  as  I  considered  it  attentively  on  the 
spot,  I  explained  it  as  follows  to  myself  :  The  air  which 
is  contained  and  pent  in  between  the  rock  and  the  arch  of 
the  torrent  must,  by  the  violent  motion  of  this  torrent,  be 
heated  and  rarefied,  and  if  so  will  of  course  break  out  in 
explosions.  The  vapors  which  fly  off  from  this  Fall  dis 
perse  themselves,  and  fall  in  heavy  showers  for  near  half  a 
mile  round  the  place.  These  Falls  the  Indians  call  by  the 
expressive  name  Cohoes." 

Gov.  Pownall  made  a  sketch  of  the  Falls  at  this  time, 
which  he  took  back  to  England,  and  there  had  it  painted, 
engraved  and  published.  One  of  the  original  prints,  which 
are  now  extremely  rare,  is  in  the  possession  of  Joseph  Chad- 
wick,  Esq.,  of  this  city,  and  is  remarkably  well  preserved. 

The  title  of  the  picture  is  as  follows  :  "A  view  of  the 
great  Cohoes  Falls  on  the  Mohawk  River.  The  Fall  about 
seventy  feet,  the  river  near  a  quarter  of  a  mile  broad. 
Sketched  on  the  spot  by  his  excellency  Gov.  Pownall, 
painted  by  Paul  Sanby,  and  engraved  by  William  Elliott, 
May,  1761."  A  steel  engraving  of  this  print,  much  smaller 
than  the  original,  forms  the  frontispiece  to  this  volume. 
Gov.  Pownall  mentions  another  sketch  of  the  Falls,  taken 
when  the  water  was  low,  and  published  some  years  previous 
by  an  English  traveler  named  Calm,  which  he  says  was  an 
inferior  production,  and  so  poorly  done  as  to  give  the  Falls 
the  general  appearance  of  a  mill-dam. 


1792.  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  11 

The  interruption  to  navigation  before  spoken  of,  was  the 
means  of  adding  considerably  to  the  business  of  Schenectady, 
as  appears  from  the  following  taken  from  the  papers  of  the 
Mass.  Historical  Coll.,  and  dated  1792.  "It  (Schenectady) 
stands  upon  the  Mohawk  River  about  nine  miles  above  the 
Falls  called  the  Cohoes,  but  this  I  take  to  be  the  Indian 
name  for  falls  ;  its  chief  business  is  to  receive  the  mer 
chandize  from  Albany  and  put  into  batteaux,  to  go  up 
the  river  and  forward  to  Albany  such  produce  of  the 
back  country  as  is  sent  to  market." 

It  will  be  observed  that  of  the  writers  who  have  been 
quoted  nearly  all  speak  of  the  Falls  in  terms  of  the  highest 
admiration.  The  Duke  de  la  Rochefoucault  Liancourt,  an 
exile  of  the  French  revolution,  who  visited  this  place  in 
1795,  does  not,  however,  appear  to  have  been  particularly 
impressed.  Concerning  the  Falls  (which  he  called  Xohos, 
and  his  translator  corrected  to  Cohoez)  he  said: 

"  But  the  river  contains  not  at  present  sufficient  water  to 
support  the  Falls.  In  many  places  the  rocks  are  quite  dry  ; 
but  in  others  they  afford  a  fine  prospect.  The  perpendicu 
lar  height  of  the  Falls  may  amount  to  about  fifty  feet,  and 
the  river  is  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  in  width.  But  upon 
the  whole  the  view  is  not  strikingly  wild,  romantic  or 
pleasant,  though  the  Falls  are  much  celebrated  throughout 
America." 

The  following  description  of  this  neighborhood,  from 
Travels  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  1795-97,  by 
Isaac  Weld  Jr.,  though  giving  no  new  observations  in  re 
gard  to  the  Falls,  is  worthy  of  notice  as  containing  a  refer 
ence,  one  of  the  earliest  on  record,  to  the  existence  of  a 
settlement  here  : 

"  Early  the  next  morning  we  set  off  and  in  about  two 
hours  arrived  at  the  small  village  of  Cohoz  close  to  which 
is  the  remarkable  Fall  in  the  Mohawk  River.  *  *  The  ap 
pearance  of  this  Fall  varies  very  much  according  to  the 
quantity  of  water;  when  the  river  is  full  the  water  descends 
in  an  unbroken  sheet  from  one  bank  to  the  other  whilst  at 
other  times  the  greater  part  of  the  rocks  are  left  uncovered. 


12  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1800. 

The  rocks  are  of  a  remarkable  dark  color  and  so  also  is  the 
earth  in  the  banks  which  rise  to  a  great  height  on  either 
side.  There  is  a  very  pleasing  view  of  this  Cataract  as  you 
pass  over  the  bridge  across  the  river,  about  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  lower  down." 

A  very  inferior  drawing  of  the  Falls  (referred  to  by  Moore, 
see  note  below)  was  published  by  Mr.  Weld. 

In  1800,  the  Falls  were  visited  by  John  Maude,  an  Eng 
lishman,  who  writes  in  his  journal  as  follows  : 

"  Cross  the  Mohawk,  over  the  bridge  at  the  foot  of  the 
Cohoes  Falls,  near  which  I  breakfasted  at  Forth's  tavern. l 
After  breakfast  I  visited  the  celebrated  cataract  of  the 
Cohoes,  and  strange  to  say,  I  was  more  pleased  with  it  now 
that  I  had  seen  Niagara,  than  I  was  five  years  ago  when  I 
beheld  it  with  disappointment." 

The  visit  of  Thomas  Moore  to  the  Falls,  during  1804,  has 
become  famous  as  suggesting  the  composition  of  the  follow 
ing  poem,  which  is  widely  known  and  quoted. 

LINES. 

"WRITTEN  AT  THE  COHOS,  OR  FALLS   OF  THE  MOHAWK  RIVER."  a 
"  Gia  era  in  loco  ove  s'udia  '1  rimbombo. 
Deil  acqua    .    .    .  "—  Dante. 

From  rise  of  morn  till  set  of  sun 

I  have  seen  the  mighty  Mohawk  run, 

And  as  I  marked  the  woods  of  pine 

Along  his  mirror  darkly  shine, 

Like  tall  and  gloomy  forms  that  pass 

Before  the  wizard's  midnight  glass  : 

And  as  I  viewed  the  hurrying  pace 

With  which  he  ran  his  turbid  race, 

Rushing,  alike  uutir'd  and  wild, 

Through  shades  that  frowned  and  flowers  that  smiled, 

Flying  by  every  green  recess 


1 1  have  been  unable  to  ascertain  positively  the  locality  of  this  tavern .  There 
was  an  inn  kept  by  a  man  named  Ford,  just  this  side  of  Gibbonsville  (now  West 
Troy),  and  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  were  settled  several  families  of  Forts,  one 
at  Fort's  Ferry,  another  at  the  Halve  Maan, 

a  "  There  is  a  dreary  and  savage  character  in  the  country  immediately  about  these 
Falls,  which  is  more  in  harmony  with  the  wilclness  of  such  a  scene,  than  the  culti 
vated  lands  in  the  neighborhood  of  Niagara.  See  the  drawing  of  them  in  Mr.  Weld's 
book.  According  to  him  the  perpendicular  height  of  the  Conos  Falls  is  fifty  feet, 
but  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux  makes  it  seventy-six.  The  fine  rainbow  which  is 
continually  forming  and  dissolving  as  the  spray  rises  with  the  light  of  the  sun,  is 
perhaps  the  moat  interesting  beauty  which  these  wonderful  cataracts  exhibit." 


1804.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  13 

That  woo'd  him  to  its  calm  caress, 

Yet,  sometimes  turning  with  the  wind, 

As  if  to  leave  one  look  behind  ! 

Oh !  I  have  thought,  and  thinking  sigh'd  — 

How  like  to  thee,  thou  restless  tide  ! 

May  be  the  lot,  the  life  of  him, 

Who  roams  along  thy  water's  brim  ! 

Through  what  alternate  shades  of  woe, 

And  flowers  of  joy  my  path  may  go  ! 

How  many  a  humble,  still  retreat 

May  rise  to  court  my  weary  feet, 

While  still  pursuing,  still  unblest, 

I  wander  on,  nor  dare  to  rest ! 

But  urgent  as  the  doom  that  calls 

Thy  water  to  its  destined  falls, 

I  see  the  world's  bewildering  force 

Hurry  my  heart's  devoted  course 

From  lapse  to  lapse,  till  life  be  done, 

And  the  last  current  cease  to  run  ! 

Oh,  may  my  falls  be  bright  as  thine  ! 

May  heaven's  forgiving  rainbow  shine 

Upon  the  mist  that  circles  me, 

As  soft,  as  now  it  hangs  o'er  thee  ! 

It  has  been  stated,  but  with  what  authority  I  cannot  say, 
that  the  house  occupied  by  Moore  during  his  stay  here,  was 
afterward  owned  by  G.  M.  Cropsey,  arid  was  standing  until 
recently  at  Northside.  In  relation  to  this,  the  following, 
published  in  the  Albany  Evening  Journal  in  1859,  will  be 
of  interest:  "  About  the  5th  of  June,  1839,  Moore  received 
a  letter  from  some  person,  a  resident  of  the  village  of  Cohoes, 
which  so  attracted  his  notice  that  he  spoke  of  it  to  Daniel 
Webster,  whom,  on  the  9th  of  June,  he  met  at  dinner. 
The  point  in  the  letter  of  interest  now  is  that  the  writer 
claimed  to  have  identified  and  visited  the  cottage  occupied 
by  Moore  when  at  Cohoes,  and  the  walk  near  the  Falls  fre 
quented  by  him."  In  a  letter  from  Moore  to  his  mother, 
written  from  Saratoga,  July  10th,  1804,  is  the  following 
reference  to  his  visit. 

"  Two  or  three  days  ago  I  was  to  see  the  Coho  Falls  on 
the  Mohawk  River,  and  was  truly  gratified.  The  immense 
fall  of  the  river  over  a  natural  dam  of  thirty  or  forty  feet 
high,  its  roar  among  the  rocks,  and  the  illuminated  mist  of 


14  HlSTOKY   OF   COHOES.  1811. 

spray  which  rises  from  its  foam,  were  to  me  objects  all  new, 
beautiful,  and  impressive.  I  never  can  forget  the  scenery 
of  this  country,  and  if  it  had  but  any  endearing  associations 
of  the  heart  (to  diffuse  that  charm  over  it,  without  which 
the  fairest  features  of  nature  are  but  faintly  interesting),  I 
should  regret  very  keenly  that  I  cannot  renew  often  the 
enjoyment  of  its  beauties.  But  it  has  none  such  for  me, 
and  I  defy  the  barbarous  natives  to  forge  one  chain  of  at 
tachment  for  any  heart,  that  has  ever  felt  the  sweets  of 
delicacy,  or  refinement.  I  believe  I  must  except  the  icomen 
from  this  denunciation  ;  they  are  certainly  flowers  of  every 
climate  and  here  waste  their  sweetness  most  deplorably."1 

Among  the  latest  descriptions  of  the  Falls  in  which  new 
points  of  interest  are  touched  upon,  is  that  of  Timothy 
Dwight,  president  of  Yale  College,  who  was  in  the  habit 
of  making  annual  tours  through  this  neighborhood.  Wri 
ting  in  181 1,  he  said  :  "  The  river  was  low,  but  I  was  better 
pleased  with  the  appearance  of  the  cataract  than  at  any 
time  heretofore.  The  face  of  the  precipice  was  sensibly 
worn  since  1802,  and  presented  more  and  bolder  varieties 
to  the  view  than  at  that  time.  A  great  deal  of  the  precipice 
was  naked." 

When,  with  the  progress  of  the  present  century,  the  lines 
of  travel  in  this  country  became  extended,  Niagara  and 
other  cataracts  by  their  superior  grandeur  rendered  the 
Cohoes  Falls  less  an  object  of  interest,  and  the  number  of 
tourists  thither  decreased.  To  visitors  in  this  neighborhood 
of  later  years,  other  features  of  the  place  have  seemed  more 
important,  and  the  Falls,  once  the  sole  attraction,  have  re 
ceived  but  passing  mention. 


1  Memoirs,  Journal  and  Correspondence  of  Thomas  Moore,  Edited  by  the  Et.  Eon. 
Lord  John  Kussett,  M.P.,  vol.  i,  London,  1853. 


1630.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  15 


n. 

COHOES  AS  A  FARMING  HAMLET. 

J_  HE  greater  part  of  the  land  on  which  the  city  of  Cohoes 
now  stands  was  originally  in  the  Manor  of  Rensselaerswyck, 
and  was  purchased  from  the  Indians  in  1630.  A  charter  of 
privileges  and  exemptions  had  been  granted  in  the  preceding 
year,  for  the  encouragement  of  patroons  to  settle  colonies, 
and  Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer,  a  pearl  merchant  in  Amster 
dam,  and  a  director  of  the  Dutch  West  India  Company,  was 
one  of  those  who  availed  themselves  of  its  advantages. 

A.t  different  times  during  the  next  seven  years  the  agents 
of  this  gentleman  purchased  for  him  tracts  of  land  in  this 
vicinity,  until  his  domain  extended  twenty-four  miles  along 
the  Hudson  River,  and  twenty-four  miles  on  each  side  of 
the  river,  east  and  west,  embracing  the  land  which  now 
composes  the  counties  of  Albany,  Rensselaer,  and  part  of 
Columbia.  The  northern  boundary  of  this  manor  was  on 
the  line  of  the  Cohoes  Falls,  running  along  what  was  after 
ward  known  as  Cohoes  Lane  and  still  later  as  the  BogJit 
Road  and  Manor  Avenue.  The  land  north  of  this  manor 
line,  which  is  now  within  the  city  limits,  was  given  by  the 
Indians  to  Illetie  or  Hilletie  (Alice),  the  wife  of  Pieter 
Danielse  Van  Olinde.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Cornelis 
Antonissen  Van  Slyck,  and  was  a  half-breed,  her  mother 
being  a  Mohawk  woman.  She  acted  for  many  years  as  in- 
terpretess  for  the  province,  and  as  such  was  frequently 
mentioned  in  the  journals  of  D  ankers  and  Sluyter,  before 
quoted.  The  Mohawk  sachems  gave  her,  in  1667,  the  Great 
Island  at  Niskayuna,  and  also  land  at  Willow  Flat,  below 
Port  Jackson  and  at  the  Boght,  in  Watervliet. l 

The  islands  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mohawk,  which  were  in 

1  The  land  northwest  of  the  city,  which  was  settled  at  an  early  day  by  the  Van 
Denberg  and  other  families,  was  originally  included  in  a  patent  granted  to  Peter 
endrickse  De  Haas  in  1697. 


16  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  1676. 

early  years  a  favorite  resort  of  the  Indians  —  one  of  their 
strong  holds,  Moenimines  Castle,  being  situated  on  Haver 
Island  —  came  into  possession  of  Capt.  Goosen  Gerritse 
Van  Schaick,  brewer,  of  Albany.  In  1664,  he,  together 
with  Philip  Pieterse  Schuyler,  was  granted  permission  to 
purchase  the  Halve  Maan  from  the  Indians  "  to  prevent 
those  of  Connecticut  purchasing  it."  This  grant,  commonly 
known  as  the  Van  Schaick  or  Half -Moon  patent,  included 
the  present  village  of  Waterford,  and  part  of  Half -Moon. 
Its  name  is  derived  from  the  crescent  shape  of  the  land 
lying  between  the  Hudson  and  the  Mohawk  at  that  point.1 

Under  the  terms  of  the  charter  it  became  the  duty  of 
Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  to  encourage  the  settlement  of  the  tract 
of  which  he  was  possessor,  and  in  1630,  and  succeeding 
years,  numbers  of  colonists  came  over  from  Holland  and 
were  provided  with  good  farms  and  comfortable  homes  in 
Fort  Orange  (Albany)  and  vicinity.  The  first  settlers  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Cohoes  belonged  to  or  were  descended 
from  those  families  and  were  located  on  the  Halve  Maan^ 
at  Waterford,  or  on  the  Mohawk  Flats  near  Niskayuna  — 
then  called  Nestigione  or  Gonistigione. 

Of  the  land  which  is  now  within  the  limits  of  the  city, 
Cohoes  Island,  afterwards  known  as  Van  Schaick's  and 
Adams'  Island,  appears  to  have  been  the  part  first  placed 
under  cultivation.  This,  together  with  Haver  Island  (Haver 
being  the  Dutch  for  oats),  which  adjoins  it  on  the  north,  was 
occupied  at  an  early  day,  and  references  to  them  in  the 
old  records  are  frequent.  Capt.  Van  Schaick,  the  original 
owner,  died  about  1676,  and  some  of  his  property  was  dis 
posed  of  by  his  widow,  as  appears  from  the  following  and 
other  deeds  among  the  early  records  of  Albany  county: 

"  Appeared  before  me  Robert  Livingston,  secretary  etc., 
and  in  presence  of  the  after  named  witnesses,  Annetie  Lie- 

i  This  tract,  it  will  be  seen,  was  of  considerable  size,  and  as  many  of  the  farmers 
living  in  this  vicinity  were  described  in  the  old  records  merely  as  living  at  the  Halve 
Maan,  it  leads  to  some  difficulty  in  preserving  the  identity  of  the  different  families. 
Waterford  was  taken  off  from  the  original  township  in  1816,  and  Clifton  Park  in  1828. 


1680.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  17 

vens  widow  of  Goose  Gerritse  Van  Schaick  deceased,  of 
the  one  side,  and  Jan  Jacobse  Van  Noortstrant  of  the  other 
side,  who  declared  that  they  had  in  amity  and  friendship 
made  a  bargain  with  each  other  for  the  sale  of  a  piece  of 
land  lying  to  the  north  of  the  fourth  branch  or  fork  [Spruyt] 
of  the  Mohawk  River  above  the  colony  Rensselaerswyck, 
being  a  part  of  a  parcel  of  land  called  the  foreland  of  the 
Half  Moon,  and  by  the  Indians  Mathahenaach,  together 
with  about  two  morgens  of  cleared  land  lying  on  the  island 
which  lies  directly  over  against  the  aforesaid  parcel  of  land, 
commonly  called  Haver  [Oats]  Island,  .  .  .  for  which  two 
parcels  of  land  Jan  Jacobse  Van  Noortstrant  promises  to 
deliver  the  sum  of  sixty  and  six  whole  beavers, '  to  be  paid 
in  wheat,  oats,  or  other  grain,  cattle,  work,  etc.,  at  market 
prices.  .  .  .  Thus  done  in  Albany  the  26th  of  June,  1677, 
in  presence  of  Mr.  Gerrit  Banker  and  Harme  Rutgers  as 
witnesses  hereto  invited." 

Van  Schaick's  Island,  however,  remained  in  possession  of 
the  family,  who,  though  not  residing  there,  appear  to  have 
rented  it  to  different  parties  living  in  the  vicinity.  Thus, 
Guert  Hendrickse  Van  Schoonhoven,  spoken  of  as  belong 
ing  at  the  Halve  Maan  in  1675,  had  a  farm  on  the  island 
in  1681,  as  did  also  Harmon  Lieviense  or  Lieverse,  while 
Roeloff  Gerritse  Van  Der  Werken  was  an  occupant  of  it  in 
1680. 

The  first  settlement  on  this  side  of  the  river  was  some 
what  later,  though  the  exact  date  cannot  be  ascertained, 
and  was  made  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Boght  at  the 
northwest  of  the  city.2 


1  A  beaver  skin  was  worth  about  eight  guilders  or  $3.20  in  our  currency. 

2  "Boght,  het  boght,  is  a  locality  situated  within  the  town  of  Watervliet.     Spaf- 
ford,  in  his  Gazetteer,  saya  this  word  means  a  cove  or  bay.    This  is  wrong.    The 
Dutch  Dictionary  tells  us  the  signification  is  a  '  bend  or  turn,'  so  this  place.    It  was 
settled  by  branches  of  the  Fort  and  Fonda  families  at  a  very  early  period ;  we  re 
gret  that  we  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  the  precise  time.    Exploring  and 
hunting  parties  from  Albany  for  many  years  after  its  settlement  made  the  Boght 
as  well  as  Niskayuna  and  Schenectady  places  of  frequent  resort.    Those  Albanians 
too,  dealt  in  contraband  goods,  and  carried  on  a  trade  in  furs  with  the  Mohawks 
at  Schenectady  contrary  to  the  ordinance  of  the  common  council  of  Albany,  and 
passed  through  this  place  and  Niskayuna  on  their  way  to  Schenectady  to  avoid 
suspicion."—  Prof.  Pearson. 

3 


18  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1767. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  land 
adjoining  the  river  which  now  forms  the  principal  part  of 
the  city,  and  a  tract  near  its  western  boundaries,  about  a 
mile  from  the  river,  was  settled  by  several  families  of  Lan 
sings,  and  the  families  of  Heamstreet  (Heemstraat  or  Yon 
Heemstraaten),  Ouderkirk,  Liverse  (Lieverse  or  Lievense), 
Fonda  and  Clute  ;  of  whom  the  Lansings  appear  to  have 
come  from  Albany,  and  the  others  from  Niskayuna  or  the 
Half  Moon. 

The  date  at  which  that  part  of  the  land  which  was  within 
the  manor  was  first  occupied  cannot  be  definitely  ascertainedc 
for  as  it  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  patroon,  no  public 
record  was  made  of  leases  or  conveyances  to  farmers. 
Deeds  are  in  existence,  however,  of  the  lands  north  of  the 
manor  line  which  belonged  to  the  Van  Olinde  family,  show 
ing  the  dates  at  which  they  were  sold  to  other  parties,  and 
it  is  probable  that  all  the  families  above  named  settled  here 
about  the  same  time.  Among  the  earliest  of  these  transfers 
was  one  of  a  woodland  lot  of  over  one  hundred  acres  situated 
just  north  of  the  manor  line  which  was  sold  by  Daniel  Van 
Olinde,  eldest  son  of  Pieter  and  Illetie  Van  Olinde,  to 
Walran  Glut  or  Clute. 

The  following  is  an  abstract  of  the  deed  : 

"  THIS  INDENTURE,  made  and  Concluded  on  the  four  and 
Twentieth  day  of  November  in  the  Seventh  Yeare  of  The 
Reign  of  our  Sovereing  Lord  George.  By  the  Grace  of 
God  of  Great  Britain  franc  and  Ireland  KING  defender  of 
The  faith,  etc.,  and  In  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  Thousand 
Seven  hundred  and  Twenty  by  and  Between  Daniel  Van 
Olinde  of  the  County  of  Albany  in  the  province  of  New  Yorke 
Yeornan  of  the  one  part,  and  Walran  Clut  of  the  same 
county  of  the  other  part  WITNESSETH  THAT  HE  THE  SAID 
Daniell  Van  Olinde,  for  and  In  consideration  of  fourty  Two 
pounds  of  currant  Lawfull  money  of  New  Yorke  to  him  In 
hand  paid  Before  the  Ensealing  and  Delivery  of  This  pre 
sents  the  Receipt  Whereof  he  The  Said  Daniel  Van  Olinde 


1767.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  19 

Doth  hereby  acknowledge  and  him  Self  therewith  full 
Satisfied  and  Contented  and  Thereof  and  of  every  part  and 
parcell  Thereof  Doth  fully  and  absolutely  Exonerate  and 
Discharge  The  Said  Walran  Glut  his  heirs  executors 
administrators  and  assigns  By  These  presents  hath  Granted 
Released  and  Confirmed  .  .  Bargained  and  sold  .  .  . 
and  doth  hereby  sell  unto  the  Said  Walran  Clute  his  heirs 
and  assigns  for  Ever  All  That  Certain  Tract  or  Pacall  of 
Wood  Land  Scituate  Lying  and  Being  within  the  county 
off  Albany  aforesaid  on  The  South  Side  of  The  Mohaks  or 
Schaneghtendy  River  between  Cahoos  and  Canastojoind 
[Conistigione  or  Niskayuna]  is  Bounded,  etc.  One  The 
East  End  Thereof  by  the  Great  fall  caled  the  Cahoos  afore 
said  and  on  the  West  Running  along  The  Line  of  the 
manner  of  Renselaers  Wick  Till  you  come  by  a  Kill  which 
is  called  the  boghts'  Kly  Kuyll  or  Kly  Kill  by  the  land  of 
one  Hendrik  Rider  which  land  is  also  (illegible)  *  * 
transported  by  the  aforesaid  Danell  Van  Olinde  Into  him 
The  Said  Hendrik  Rider,  and  so  along  that  Said  Land  Till 
you  come  again  upon  The  Aforesaid  Kly  Kill  and  Then 
along  The  Said  Kill  Till  you  come  To  The  River  aforesaid 
and  So  along  The  Said  River  To  The  Cahoos  where  first 
begon — provided  alwais  and  for  Ever  hereafter  that  he 
The  said  Walran  Glut  and  his  heirs  and  assigns  Shall  Leave 
one  wagon  road  along  the  river  for  The  Use  of  The  Neigh 
bourhood,  It  is  further  agreed  by 

and  between  the  Said  Daniel  Van  Olinde  and  Walran  Glut 
for  theire  Self  and  there  heirs  for  ever  that  he  the  Said 
Clute  has  free  Liberty  to  build  one  or  more  Saw  Mills  or 
Grind  Mills  and  To  Ly  Dams  provided  that  in  Case  The 
aforesaid  Walran  Clute  his  heirs  or  assigns  Shall  come  to 
buld  a  Saw  mill  and  Saw  Loggs  out  of  the  right  of  him 
the  said  Daniel  his  heirs  and  assigns  that  Then  and  In  such 
case  he  the  said  Walran  Clute  his  heirs  and  assigns  shall 
pay  to  him  the  said  Daniel  his  heirs  and  assigns  ten  Boards 
yearly  and  Every  year  forever,  and  In  case  a  Grind  Mill 
That  Then  and  In  such  case  he  the  said  Walran  Glut  and 
his  heirs  and  assigns  shall  forever  grind  for  Daniel  Van 
Olinde  and  his  heirs  and  assigns,  for  one  famaly  that  Shall 
Life  upon  the  Land  where  the  said  Daniel  nowLifes  on  ... 

IN  WITNESS  WHEKEOF  THE  parties  To  These  presents 


20  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1767. 

Indenture  have  Tnterchangeabley  put  their  hands  and  Seald 
The  Day  and  Year  first  above  writting 

IT       T  T-k  v         j   DANIEL  VAN  OLINDE  TL.  s.l 
Signed  tSeald  and  Delivered 

In  the  presence  of 

Mynders  Schuyler  Justice 

John  De  Peyster 

Evert  Wendell. 

The  farm  directly  north  of  this,  embracing  about  two 
hundred  acres,  was  sold  by  Daniel  Van  Olinde  to  Gerret 
Lansing  in  May,  1740.  The  dates  of  these  transfers  and 
other  facts  in  regard  to  the  matter  which  are  accessible, 
afford  fair  evidence  that  the  first  general  settlement  of  the 
place  was  made  between  1725  and  1750. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  obtain  in  detail  an  accurate  ac 
count  of  the  early  inhabitants  ;  in  most  cases  there  is 
nothing  to  show  the  date  at  which  their  farms  were  cleared 
or  their  houses  built,  and  with  one  or  two  exceptions  but 
few  facts  can  be  given  in  regard  to  their  family  history. 
Under  these  circumstances  the  history  of  Cohoes,  while  it 
was  but  a  farming  community,  must  necessarily  be  incom 
plete.  From  records  in  existence,  however,  it  is  possible 
to  identify  the  different  farm  houses,  some  of  which  still 
remain,  and  to  give  the  boundaries  of  the  principal  farms  as 
they  were  held  by  the  original  settlers. 

In  a  map  of  the  manor  of  Rensselaerswyck  made  for  the 
patroon  by  John  R.  Bleeker,  surveyor,  in  1767,  the  follow 
ing  houses  appear  on  the  land  now  included  within  the  city 
limits,  most  of  them  near  the  river,  and  the  main  road,  now 
Saratoga  street: 

Henry  Lansing'' s^  opposite  the  upper  end  of  Green  Island. 
This  house,  situated  a  short  distance  below  the  Old  Junc 
tion  near  the  canal,  is  now  occupied  by  Lucius  Alexander. 
It  has  been  altered  and  enlarged  from  time  to  time,  and 
the  original  building  is  still  in  good  condition.  * 

1  The  property  of  Henry  or  Hendrik  Lansing  was  afterwards  sold  to  Jacob  H. 
Lansing  who  occupied  the  farm-house  for  many  years.  William  Lansing,  his  son, 
occupied  the  house  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  and  it  is  said,  kept  a  tavern 


1767.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  21 

Lansing's,  on  the  opposite  (west)  side  of  the  road  from 
the  above  and  a  little  to  the  south.  This  house  is  said  to 
have  been  burned,  but  at  what  date  is  not  known. 

Cornells  Ouderker&s,1  opposite  the  lower  end  of  Van 
Schaick's  Island.  This  house  was  last  occupied  by  a  family 
named  Conaughty,  after  having  been  for  some  years  occu 
pied  as  a  tavern.  It  stood  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Cham- 
plain  Canal,  a  short  distance  below  Tighes'  brewery  near 
Newark  street,  and  was  torn  down  in  1865. 

Derek  Heamstreet'' s^1  a  few  rods  north  of  Ouderkerk's. 
Part  of  this  building,  located  between  the  canal  and  the 
river,  directly  east  of  the  brewery,  still  remains,  and  is  now 
in  possession  of  John  P.  "Weber.  It  was  partially  destroyed 
by  fire,  Dec.  2,  1868.  The  lower  part  of  the  building  re 
mains  the  same  as  before,  but  the  Dutch  gable  roof  was 
burned,  and  replaced  by  the  flat  roof  now  seen.  This,  like 
all  the  other  old  farm  houses  in  the  neighborhood,  was  built 
to  last,  and  none  of  its  material  was  light  or  flimsy.  The 
old  barn,  which  stood  near  the  house,  was  a  most  massive 
structure.  It  was  built  throughout  of  the  heaviest  and  best 
selected  timber  ;  the  flooring  was  of  five  inch  plank  hewn 
by  hand,  and  the  roof  was  covered  with  four  feet  cedar 
shingles,  secured  by  wrought  nails.  The  building  was  pur 
chased  some  years  since  by  George  E.  Simmons,  and  when 
it  was  torn  down  enough  material  was  found  in  it  to  serve 
for  the  construction  of  two  barns  of  modern  style. 

there  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  Descendants  of  the  family,  among 
them  Abraham  F.  Lansing  of  this  city,  and  Dow  F.  Lansing  of  Albany,  are  yet 
living. 

1  The  Ouclerkerk  family  do  not  appear  to  have  long  resided  here,  and  in  accounts 
which  are  found  in  old  records  they  are  mentioned  as  being  from  the  Half  Moon. 
Several  marriages  between  this  family  and  the  Fondas  are  recorded  in  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  which  may  account  for  the  fact  that  the  farm  afterwards  came 
into  possession  of  the  Fonda  family.  The  house  was  occupied  in  1815,  by  Harmon 
Fonda,  who  owned  the  farm  together  with  his  brother  Dow  I.  Fonda.  Their  de 
scendants  still  live  in  this  vicinity,  some  of  them  in  Watervliet. 

a  Dot  ek  Heamstreet  was  succeeded  by  Charles  Heamstreet,  who  became  one  of  the 
principal  farmers  in  the  neighborhood.  He  had  five  sons :  Richard,  Albert,  John, 


22  HISTORY  OF  COHOBS.  1767. 

John  Lansing  V  on  the  west  side  of  the  highway,  a  short 
distance  south  of  the  manor  line.  This  was  destroyed  a 
number  of  years  ago,  and  the  house  at  present  occupied  by 
Egbert  W.  Lansing  erected  nearly  on  its  site. 

Frederick  Glutens;1  Outside  of  the  manor,  and  a  few  rods 
north  of  the  Lansing  house,  011  the  brow  of  the  hill.  This 
was  a  log  house.  A  frame  house  was  afterwards  built  by 
Gerret  Clute,  son  of  the  above,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  a 
short  distance  above  the  Falls,  where  traces  of  it  are  still 
discernible.  It  was  destroyed  during  the  progress  of  the 
Cohoes  Company's  improvements  in  1832  or  thereabouts. 

Frans  Lansing 's,  Doiu  Fonda'' s  and  Win.  Liver  se^s. 
These  were  located  at  different  points  some  distance  west 
of  the  river,  and  nearly  on  the  line  of  the  present  western 
boundary  of  the  city. 

Van   Schaictfs  House*  on  Van  Schaick  Island.     This 

Jacob  and  Philip.  Richard  occupied  the  farm  known  as  the  Gerret  Witbeck 
farm;  and  John  built  the  small  yellow  house  yet  standing  on  Saratoga  street, 
opposite  the  brewery.  Richard  had  four  sons:  Garret,  Charles,  William  and 
Stephen,  of  whom  one  (Charles?)  is  now  living  in  Clifton  Park.  Albert  had  four 
eons  :  Charles,  Henry,  Jacob  and  Abraham.  The  name  is  given  above  as  it  appears 
on  the  patroon's  books.  It  is  now  spelled  Hemstreet. 

1  John  (or  Johannes)  J.  Lansing  was  born  in  1719,  and  died  in  1813.    He  had  ten 
children,  one  of  whom,  Andrew  (born  1760,  died  1835),  succeeded  him  in  possession 
of  the  farm.    Andrew  had  four  sons  :  John,  Jacob,  Evert  and  Abram,  the  latter  of 
whom  (born  1790,  died  1867),  was  a  well  known  citizen.    Two  of  his  sons,  Egbert 
W.,  and  John  V.  S.  Lansing,    are  now  living  in  Cohoes,  the  former  occupying  the 
old  farm. 

2  Frederick  Clute  was  the  son  of  Walraven  or  Waldron  Clute,  who  bought  the 
farm  from  Daniel  Van  Olinda.    His  grandfather,  also  named  Frederick  Clute,  came 
from  Kingston  about  1703,  and  settled  at  Niskayuna,  where  be  bought  land  of 
Johannes  Clute. 

Frederick  the  younger  was  bora  1724,  and  married  Maria  Be  Ridder,  Nov.,  1754. 
His  oldest  son,  Gerret  Clute,  was  born  Feb.  29,  1761,  and  occupied  the  farm  until  the 
early  part  of  the  present  century.  Gerret  Clute  had  ten  children,  as  follows  :  Maria, 
wife  of  Richard  Hemstreet,  Getty,  wife  of  John  Hemstreet,  Anna,  wife  of  James 
Ostrander,  William,  Kate,  Matthew,  Rachel,  Henrietta,  wife  of  John  Johnson, 

Charles,  and .    The  oldest  son  William,  was  the  father  of  ex-Justice  Harvey 

Clute  now  of  this  city. 

3  Sybrant,  the  second  son,  of  Capt.  Goosen  Gerritse  Van  Schaick,  was  born  1653, 
and  died  about  1685.    He  had  four  children,  of  whom  the  third,  Anthony,  was  born 
in  1681,  and  lived  in  Albany,  being  by  trade  a  glazier.    His  second  son,  Wessel,  was 


24  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  1767. 

house,  which  is  the  best  preserved  of  the  old  buildings  now 
in  the  city,  was  erected  in  1762,  and  has  since  been  altered 
but  little.  The  only  change  in  the  front  of  the  house  is  a 
new  porch  which  was  built  by  Mr.  Adams  a  year  or  two 
ago.  The  old  windows,  with  their  heavy  sashes  and  dimin 
utive  panes,  and  the  old  fashioned  divided  door  with  its 
massive  brass  knocker  and  ponderous  iron  bar  still  remain. 
The  bricks  of  which  the  house  was  built  were  made  on  the 
island,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  of  peculiar  curved 
shape,  which  form  a  sort  of  ridge  or  coping  extending  around 
the  body  of  the  house  about  four  feet  from  the  ground  - 
those  having  been  brought  from  Holland.  The  wooden 
house  now  standing  a  few  rods  south  of  the  old  mansion 
was  built  certainly  over  a  century  ago,  and  perhaps  before 
the  brick  building. 

The  homestead  of  Gerret  Lansing, '  on  the  farm  just  north 
of  Frederick  Clute's,  though  not  marked  on  this  map,  was 
in  existence  at  the  time.  It  was  located  near  the  site  of  the 
red  brick  house  (built  by  Rutger  Lansing,  son  of  Gerret,  in 
1790),  which  yet  stands  near  the  Cohoes  Company's  dam. 

The  boundaries  between  the  different  farms  do  not  appear 
to  have  been  definitely  fixed  by  the  patroon,  nor  were  leases 
for  them  regularly  drawn  until  towards  the  close  of  the  last 
century.  This  may  be  accounted  for  on  the  ground  that  as 
the  Van  Rerisselaers  were  desirous  of  encouraging  the  set 
tlement  of  their  domain,  no  rents  were  at  first  exacted,  and 
owing  to  the  vast  extent  of  the  manor,  farmers  were  allowed 
to  settle  in  different  parts  of  it  and  occupy  the  land  for 
many  years  before  arrangements  were  made  for  the  regular 
collection  of  tithes. 

The  maps  of  the  original  farms  in  this  neighborhood,  as 

born  in  1712.  He  had  five  children.  His  second  eon,  John  Gerritse,  was  born  Oct. 
23, 1748.  In  1805,  he  had  a  house  and  store  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway,  Albany^ 
He  died  on  Van  Schaick's  Island,  July  7, 1828.  His  youngest  son,  Henry,  died  at 
Lansingburgh,  Oct.  7, 1829,  aged  33  years.  The  last  member  of  the  Van  Schaicks  to 
occupy  the  island  was  the  first  husband  of  Mrs.  Wm.  L.  Adams. 

1  Gerret  Rutger  Lansing  was  the  son  of  Rutger.  After  his  death  the  farm  came 
itno  the  possession  of  his  eon,  Isaac  D.  F.  Lansing,  born  1790,  died  Nov.  12, 1874. 


1774.  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  25 

surveyed  under  direction  of  the  patroon,  are  preserved  in 
the  Van  Rensselaer  office.  A  map  showing  the  relation  of 
the  farm  boundaries  to  the  streets,  as  at  present  laid  out, 
would  be  of  interest,  but  the  preparation  of  one  which  would 
be  suitable  for  publication  with  this  sketch  has  not  seemed 
feasible.  The  following  description  of  the  outlines  of  the 
principal  farms,  with  references  to  streets  and  localities 
which  are  now  familiar,  giving  the  names  of  their  occupants 
as  recorded  in  the  patroon's  books,  and  a  sketch  of  the  sub 
sequent  disposition  of  the  property,  will,  it  is  hoped,  be 
sufficient  to  give  a  general  idea  of  the  way  in  which  the 
land  was  divided. 

Commencing  at  the  lower  part  of  the  settlement,  the  first 
farm  was  one  which  formed  part  of  the  tract  disposed  of 
by  the  patroon  to  Col.  Schuyler,  and  was  known  in  later 
years  as  the  Jacob  H.  Lansing  farm.  It  extended  on 
the  south  to  a  line  which  is  now  the  southern  limit  of  the 
city  (near  Cedar  Grove)  and  had  for  part  of  its  boundary 
the  Soult  I£ill  (Salt  Brook).  Its  northern  limit  was  a  line 
running  nearly  parallel  with  the  brook  which  flows  east 
ward  through  the  ravine  south  of  the  residence  of  Samuel 
Bilbrough  on  Main  street,  and  is  carried  under  Saratoga 
street  a  short  distance  below  its  junction  with  Main  street. 
This  land,  the  farm  house  on  which,  occupied  by  Henry 
Lansing,  has  been  before  mentioned,  had  been  sold  by  Kil- 
lian  Van  Rensselaer  to  Col.  Philip  Schuyler,  May  10,  1708, 
and  was  held  by  him  until  1731,  when  it  was  sold  to  Hen- 
drick  Lansing.  On  January  15th,  1774,  "the  fourteenth 
year  of  the  reign  of  our  sovereign  King  George  the  Third" 
it  was  sold  by  "  Hendrick  Lansing,  mason  or  bricklayer  of 
the  Boght,  county  of  Albany  and  province  of  New  York 
unto  Jacob  H.  Lansing,  yeoman,  for  the  consideration  of 
four  hundred  pounds,  lawful  money."  In  his  possession  it 
remained  until  1822,  when  it  was  sold  to  R.  P.  Hart,  and 
has  been  since  disposed  of  in  lots  to  various  parties,  though 
some  yet  remains  in  the  hands  of  the  Hart  estate. 
4 


26  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1794. 

Next  was  the  Jacob  D.  Fonda  farm,  bounded  on  the  south 
by  the  Lansing  farm  above  described  and  having  for  its 
northern  limit  a  line  which  commenced  at  the  river  and  ran 
northwest,  passing  the  south  end  of  the  brewery  (on  Sara 
toga  street  below  Newark)  reaching  Columbia  street  near 
where  it  is  crossed  by  the  Central  rail  road  and  extending 
along  the  old  line  of  that  street  to  a  point  near  the  cemetery. 
The  house  on  this  farm  was  that  which  was  occupied 
by  Cornelis  Ouderkirk  in  1767.  The  land,  comprising 
136£  acres,  was  leased  to  Jacob  D.  Fonda,  Dec.  16th,  1794, 
for  the  consideration  of  "  fifteen  bushels  wheat,  four  hens 
and  one  day's  service." 

Early  in  the  present  century  it  was  bought  by  Abraham 
G.  Lansing,  who  built  about  1820,  as  a  country  residence, 
the  house  afterwards  occupied  by  Wm.  N.  Chadwick  and 
at  present  by  Samuel  Bilbrough.  A  large  part  of  the  farm 
afterward  came  into  possession  of  Messrs.  Bayard  Clark  and 
Wm.  N.  Chadwick,  by  whom  it  was  sold  to  Gould  &  Tracy, 
who  disposed  of  it  to  various  parties.  A  number  of  lots  in 
the  western  part  of  the  city,  beyond  the  Central  rail  road, 
have  remained  until  within  a  few  years  in  possession  of  the 
Lansing  heirs. 

Above  the  Fonda  farm  was  that  of  Charles  Hearnstreet, 
the  northern  boundary  of  which  was  very  irregular.  A 
portion  of  it  ran  nearly  parallel  with  White  street  as  at 
present  laid  out ;  commencing  at  a  point  on  Mohawk  street 
in  rear  of  the  school  house  now  built  on  the  corner  of  White 
and  Mohawk  streets,  it  ran  westward  until  it  reached  Sargent 
street,  near  the  site  of  Bogue's  block.  This  was  the  boundary 
of  the  middle  portion  of  the  farm.  On  both  sides,  however, 
it  extended  much  further  to  the  north.  On  the  right,  com 
mencing  at  White  street,  the  line  ran  up  Mohawk  street 
almost  to  Oneida,  when  it  turned  to  the  northeast,  strik 
ing  the  river  a  few  rods  west  of  the  present  rail  road  bridge. 

*  These  farms  were  granted  from  thepatroon  on  perpetual  leases. 


1794.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  27 

On  the  other  (western  side)  the  line,  commencing  at  Sargent 
street,  ran  north  until  it  reached  a  point  near  Lock  14,  and 
then  ran  west  about  to  the  location  of  the  bridge  over  the 
Central  rail  road,  at  Johnston  avenue.  This  farm,  which 
originally  comprised  205  J  acres,  was  leased  to  Charles 
Heamstreet,  April  15,  1*793,  for  the  annual  rent  of  "twenty- 
seven  bushels  of  wheat,  four  fat  fowls  and  a  day's  service 
with  carriage  and  horses." 

It  was  sold  in  part  in  1822,  for  $8,5 00  to  R.  P.  Hart,  with 
whom  Ebenezer  Wiswall,  Philip  Schuyler  and  Jno.  P. 
Cushman  afterward  held  a  joint  interest,  and  by  them  was 
disposed  of  to  various  parties.  One  section,  embracing  the 
land  near  White  street,  was  for  some  time  in  possession  of 
Hugh  White. 

North  of  the  Heamstreet  farm  was  one  comprising  seventy- 
three  acres  which  was  leased  in  January,  1794,  to  Gerrit 
Witbeck,  concerning  whose  residence  nothing  has  been 
ascertained.  The  annual  rental  was  "three  bushels  and 
three  pecks  of  wheat,  four  fat  fowls,  and  one  day's  service 
with  carriage  and  horses."  The  boundary  of  this  farm  ran 
about  northeast  along  by  the  present  Erie  Canal,  until  it 
reached  a  point  near  Harmony  Mill  No.  2,  when  it  turned 
to  the  east  and  followed  the  Diepe  gat,  or  Diepe-gat 
Kit, 1  which  emptied  into  the  river  a  short  distance  below 
Harmony  Mill  No.  3.  The  lease  of  this  farm  was  assigned 
to  Lucas  G.  Witbeck,  in  1801.  It  soon  afterward  came 
into  the  possession  of  the  Heamstreet  family  and  was 
assigned  to  Derek  Heamstreet,  in  1802.  The  farm  was 
occupied  for  a  number  of  years  by  Richard  Heamstreet, 
whose  house  was  situated  on  Mohawk  street  between 
Oneida  and  Factory  streets,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by 

1  This  Diepe  gat  or  deep  cut  which  has  since  been  so  completely  filled  in  and 
covered  that  all  traces  of  it  have  been  obliterated,  was  a  rocky  gorge,  so  dark  and 
gloomy  that  it  was  the  terror  of  the  children  of  the  neighborhood.  The  brook 
which  flowed  through  it  was  called  by  them  SpooJc  Ml  and  the  bridge  which 
crossed  it  became  known  among  the  farmers  as  the  Spook's  bridge. 


28  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1813. 

the  south  part  of  Witbeck's  block. '  It  was  sold  by  the 
sheriff  to  Ebenezer  Wiswall,  Oct.  2,  1819,  and  was  pur. 
chased  from  him  by  Canvass  White,  March  17,  1824,  from 
whose  hands  it  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Cohoes 
Company. 

The  next  farm  was  that  of  Andrew  Lansing,  comprising 
211  acres,  which  was  leased  to  him  March  24th,  1813,  at 
an  annual  rent  of  eighteen  bushels  of  wheat,  with  the  usual 
consideration  of  fowls  and  service.  It  was  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  manor  line,  or  present  Boght  road,  and  on 
the  south  by  the  lines  of  the  Witbeck  and  Heamstreet 
farms.  A  large  portion  of  this  farm,  comprising  much  of 
the  land  now  occupied  by  the  Harmony  Company,  was  sold 
to  the  Cohoes  Company  by  Mr.  Lansing  in  1831  ;  and  other 
parts  of  it  are  still  in  possession  of  the  family  The  eastern 
boundary  of  this  farm  was  the  old  road,  which  ran  nearly 
the  same  as  the  present  Mohawk  street.  The  strip  between 
the  road  and  the  river,  extending  from  the  Diepe  gat  to 
the  Falls,  remained  in  possession  of  the  patroon,  until  it 
was  sold  to  the  Cohoes  Company  in  1836.2 

The  eastern  limits  of  these  five  farms,  with  the  exception 
in  the  case  of  Andrew  Lansing's  just  mentioned,  was  the 
river.  Their  western  boundaries  were  irregular  and  as  they 
extended  in  most  cases  beyond  the  limits  which  now  mark 
the  thickly  settled  portions  of  the  city,  need  not  be  particu 
larly  described.  Taking  the  Gerret  Witbeck  lot  as  part  of 
the  Ileamstreet  farm  (as  it  was  in  effect  for  many  years),  it 
may  be  said  that  all  the  farms  extended  at  least  as  far  west 
as  the  present  Cohoes  Cemetery,  while  those  of  Andrew 


1  This  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  February  13,  1858,  having  been  for  some 
time  unoccupied. 

2  It  is  said  that  this  strip  was  offered,  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  to  Evert 
Lansing,  and  his  brother,  if  they  would  pay  the  back  rent  upon  it,  but  as  they  de 
clined  to  do  so  it  was  kept  by  the  Van  Rensselaers  and  on  the  formation  of  the 
Cohoes  Company,  was  transferred  by  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  as  part  payment  for 
his  stock. 


1740.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  29 

Lansing  and  Jacob  Fonda  were  still  deeper.  The  farms 
lying  to  the  west  of  those  above  described,  were,  according 
to  the  patroon's  maps,  as  follows  :  West  of  Andrew  Lan 
sing  were  the  farms  of  Peter  and  Henry  Fero,  and  Peter 
Lieverse  ;  west  of  Charles  Heamstreet  and  Jacob  D.  Fonda 
was  the  farm  of  Douw  A.  Fonda  ;  and  west  of  Jacob  H. 
Lansing  was  a  farm  occupied  at  different  times  by  branches 
of  the  Lansing  and  Fonda  families.  The  Lieverse  and  Fonda 
farm  houses  have  been  before  mentioned. 

But  little  is  to  be  said  concerning  the  lands  outside  of  the 
manor,  which  are  now  within  the  city  limits,  as  they  have 
been  occupied  as  farm  lands  until  within  a  few  years.  The 
Clute  farm,  lately  known  as  Mrs.  Miller's,  situated  just  above 
the  manor  line  and  extending  on  the  west  to  the  present 
Erie  Canal,  remained  for  the  greater  part  in  possession  of 
the  family  until  some  years  ago.  A  portion  of  it  in  the 
southwest  corner  was,  however,  leased  to  the  Van  Der 
Mark  family  early  in  the  present  century,  and  other  parts 
near  the  river  were  afterward  sold  to  the  Cohoes  Company. 

Nearly  all  of  the  Lansing  farm,  just  north  of  Clute's,  still 
remains  the  property  of  the  heirs  of  I.  D.  F.  Lansing,  although 
part  has  been  sold  to  the  Cohoes  Company. 

Van  Schaick's  Island,  comprising  about  320  acres,  re 
mained  the  property  of  the  family  until  it  came  into  the 
possession  of  Wm.  L.  Adams,  the  present  owner,  about  forty 
years  since. 

These  farms  of  course  furnished  the  principal  employment 
of  their  occupants,  but  some  of  the  inhabitants  were  also 
engaged,  in  a  small  way,  in  other  business.  The  Lansing 
family,  as  early  as  1740,  were  the  owners  of  a  saw  mill, 
located  a  short  distance  north  of  the  present  site  of  the 
Cohoes  Straw  Board  Mill,  near  the  Cohoes  Company's 
dam.  A  grist  mill  was  afterwards  built,  just  south  of  the 
saw  mill,  and  the  two  establishments  were  run  in  partner 
ship  by  Gerret  aad  Rutger  Lansing  for  many  years.  On 


30  HISTOKY  OF  COHOES.  1794. 

the  Clute  farm  a  grist  mill  was  also  erected,  which  was 
located  a  short  distance  above  the  Falls.  The  establishment 
of  a  mill  of  some  sort,  evidently  contemplated  when  the 
deed  of  the  farm  was  drawn,  may  have  transpired  soon  after 
the  sale,  but  there  is  no  record  of  its  existence  until  the 
time  of  Gerret  Clute,  who  remained  for  some  time  the 
proprietor.  Another  grist  mill,  which  was  afterwards 
converted  into  a  carding  mill,  was  located  on  the  Heam- 
street  farm,  on  the  flats  just  opposite  Simmons's  Island. 
It  was  originally  conducted  by  Charles  Heamstreet  and 
afterwards  by  his  son  Albert.1  The  power  for  each  of  these 
mills  was  furnished  by  means  of  a  wing  dam  extending  some 
yards  into  the  river,  that  of  the  Heamstreet  mill  being  built 
out  to  a  large  rock  in  the  channel  which  is  still  a  prominent 
feature  of  that  locality. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  early  inhabitants  of  Cohoes  were 
in  comfortable  circumstances.  All  were  possessed  of  large 
and  productive  farms  on  which  substantial  and  comfortable 
houses  had  been  erected,  and  some  in  addition  had  their 
mills,  which  were  probably  well  patronized  by  their  neighbors 
of  the  Boght  and  other  parts  of  Watervliet. 

They  were  fair  types  of  the  thrifty  and  prosperous  Dutch 
farmers  who  were  the  early  settlers  of  this  portion  of  the 
state,  and  the  features  of  their  social  life  were  similar  to 
those  which  existed  throughout  this  neighborhood  and  have 
been  often  described.  Among  the  customs  which  prevailed 
here  as  in  other  Dutch  settlements  was  slave-holding, 
and  from  the  extent  of  the  negro  burial  places  of  which 
traces  remain  on  the  Heamstreet,  Lansing  and  other  farms, 
it  is  evident  that  each  family  possessed  quite  a  number. 

The  following  document  from  among  the  papers  of  the 
Clute  family  will  be  of  interest  in  this  connection  : 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  Isaac  J.  Fonda 

1  The  lease  of  the  mill  privilege  was  granted  by  the  patroon  to  Charles  Heam- 
Btreet  Dec.  22, 1794,  at  an  annual  rental  of  $12.50. 


1793.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  31 

of  the  Bought  in  the  town  of  Watervleet  County  of  Albany 
and  State  of  New  York  for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum 
of  twenty  pounds  of  lawful  Money  of  the  State  afore 
mentioned  to  me  in  hand  paid  by  Gerret  Clute  of  said  place 
County  and  state  above  mentioned  at  or  before  the  sealing 
and  delivery  of  these  presents  the  Receipt  Whereof  I  the 
said  Isaac  J.  Fonda  do  hereby  acknowledge  have  granted 
bargained  and  sold  and  by  these  presents  do  grant  bargain 
and  sell  unto  the  said  Gerret  Clute  his  Executors,  Adminis 
trators  and  Asigns  a  Negro  Boy  Named  Ben  or  Benjamin 
to  have  and  to  hold  the  said  Negro  Boy  to  the  said  Gerret 
Clute  His  executors  administrators  forever  and  I  the  said 
Isaac  J.  Fonda  for  myself  my  heirs  executors  and 
Administrators  and  Assigns  against  the  said  Isaac  J.  Fonda, 
my  Heirs  Executors  and  Administrators  and  against  all 
and  every  other  person  and  persons  whatsoever  shall  and 
will  warrant  and  forever  defend  by  these  presents  the  said 
Negro  I  the  said  Isaac  J.  Fonda  have  put  the  said  Gerret 
Clute  in  full  possession  of  at  the  sealing  and  delivery  of 
these  presents.  In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my 
hand  and  seal  this  day  of  June  in  the  year  of  Our  Lord 
one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-three. 

"N.  B.  The  date  of  the  month  and  the  word  three  at  the 
bottom  or  in  the  last  line  of  the  presents  were  interlined 
and  altered  before  the  sealing  and  delivery  of  the  said 
presents. 

"  Present  at  the  sealing  and  delivery  Bought  June  Re 
ceived  of  Mr.  Gerrit  Clute  twenty  pounds,  In  full  for  a 
Negro  bought  by  the  said  Gerrit  Clute,  received  by  me."  l 

It  is  probable  that  until  the  revolution  there  was  but 
little  interruption  to  the  quiet  monotony  of  the  life  in  this 
farming  hamlet.  The  neighboring  settlements  being  diffi 
cult  of  access,  communication  with  them  was  limited  to 
market  days,  and  the  inhabitants,  busied  from  day  to  day 
with  the  duties  of  their  farms  or  mills,  were  little  affected 
by  the  course  of  events  in  the  outside  world.  With  the 
outbreak  of  war,  however,  this  peaceful  routine  was  dis 
turbed.  A  number  of  men  from  this  vicinity  joined  the 


1  The  number  of  slaves  in  Watervliet,  in  1810,  was  128.    All  slaves  in  the  state 
were  emancipated  in  1827. 


32  HISTOEY  or  COHOES.  1784. 

companies  which  were  raised  in  adjoining  towns,1  and  this, 
together  with  the  proximity  of  the  place  to  the  scene  of 
many  of  the  important  events  of  the  war,  must  have 
caused  the  inhabitants  to  regard  the  progress  of  the  struggle 
with  the  deepest  interest.  The  main  road  to  the  north,  on 
this  side  of  the  river,  passed  over  the  islands  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mohawk,  since  the  sprouts  could  be  forded  more  easily 
than  the  main  stream,  and  traces  of  it  still  remain  on  Adams's 
Island.  Over  this  road  many  of  the  troops  marched  during 
the  campaigns  in  this  vicinity.  The  islands  were  occupied 
from  July  to  October,  1777,  by  a  force  of  from  4,000  to 
6,000  men,  stationed  there  by  Gen.  Gates,  after  the  retreat 
of  his  army  from  the  neighborhood  of  Lake  Champlain. 
The  men  remained  there  during  the  operations  near  Saratoga 
and  Stillwater,  for  the  purpose  of  covering  the  rear  of  the 
American  army  and  securing  a  position  to  fall  back  upon 
in  case  Burgoyne  should  compel  a  retreat.  It  is  said  that 
the  Van  Schaick  house  was  used  for  the  headquarters  of 
the  officers  during  the  occupation.  Fortifications  were 
erected  on  Haver  Island,  remains  of  which  are  still  visible. 
In  1784,  the  first  church  in  the  vicinity  was  established. 
The  Reformed  Dutch  church  of  the  Boght,  said  to  have 
been  the  first  north  of  Albany,  was  organized  by  the 
Classis  of  Albany,  on  the  petition  of  forty-two  members  of 
the  Dutch  church  of  that  city,  presented  February  22.  The 
original  church  building,  which  stood  on  the  road  running 
north  and  south  at  the  present  western  limits  of  the  city, 
was  doubtless  erected  some  time  before  the  organization  of 
the  church.  The  first  elders  were  David  Fero  and  Isaac 
Fonda,  and  the  first  deacons  were  Abraham  D.  Fonda  and 
Gerret  I.  Lansing.  The  first  pastor  called  was  the  Rev. 
John  Demarest  who  began  his  ministry  in  1790,  taking 
charge  of  the  Boght  church  in  connection  with  that  at  Nis- 

1  Among  them  were  Gerret  Clute,  and  members  of  the  Lansing  and  Fonda  fami 
lies,  but  no  complete  list  of  their  names  can  be  obtained. 


1795.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  33 

kayuna.  He  preached  in  Dutch,  and  all  the  records  of  the 
church  during  his  ministry  were  kept  in  that  language.  The 
membership  of  the  church  in  1791  was  121.  Rutger  Lan 
sing  became  one  of  the  deacons  in  1789,  and  Gerret  R. 
Lansing  was  a  deacon  in  1794.  This  church  was  for  many 
years  the  only  one  attended  by  the  inhabitants  of  Cohoes, 
and  had  an  important  part  in  the  early  history  of  the  place.1 
In  1795  the  first  bridge  across  the  Mohawk  at  Cohoes 
was  erected.  The  increase  in  the  number  of  inhabitants  in 
the  Half  Moon  and  this  vicinity  had  made  the  necessity  of 
a  bridge  at  this  point  for  some  time  apparent,  and  as  early 
as  January,  1771,  the  following  resolution  in  regard  to  it 
was  passed  by  the  common  council  of  Albany  : 


1  The  following  sketch  of  its  history  since  1800,  which,  together  with  the  above 
facts,  has  been  kindly  furnished  by  the  present  pastor,  will  be  of  interest. 

Mr.  Deraarest  closed  his  ministry  in  1803. 

In  1805,  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  Bassett  was  called  who  remained  until  1811. 

In  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  a  subscription  was  circulated  for  the  purchase 
and  erection  of  a  stove  in  the  church.  The  stove  was  placed  upon  an  elevated 
platform  in  order  that  it  might  heat  the  church  more  effectually.  In  the  ministry 
of  Dr.  Bassett  the  services  and  the  church  records  began  to  be  in  the  English  lan 
guage. 

In  1807,  a  new  church  building  was  erected. 

Rev.  Robert  Brouk  became  pastor  in  1814.  He  ministered  also  to  the  church  of 
Washington  and  Gibbonsville,  now  the  South  Reformed  church  of  West  Troy.  Mr. 
Bronk  resigned  his  charges  in  1823. 

In  1824,  Rev.  John  B.  Steele,  of  Waterford,  became  pastor  and  continued  until 
1833. 

Rev.  Cornelius  Bogardus  was  pastor  from  1833  to  1838. 

Rev.  William  Pitcher  became  pastor  in  1840.  During  his  ministry,  it  was  pro 
posed  to  build  a  new  church,  and  after  much  discussion  with  reference  to  the  site, 
the  present  church  was  erected  on  the  parsonage  ground  in  1847.  At  this  time 
twenty-two  members  left  the  church  and  were  organized  as  the  Church  of  Rensse- 
laer,  and  another  church  edifice  was  built  at  Van  Vranken's  Corners. 

Mr.  Pitcher  left  in  1854,  and  Rev.  John  Dubois  was  called  \\  ho  remained  until 
1859.  Rev.  John  W.  Major  was  pastor  from  1860  to  1864. 

In  1864,  the  church  of  the  Boght  united  with  the  church  of  Rensselaer  and  called 
Rev.  H.  A.  Raymond  as  pastor.  He  remained  until  1871. 

The  present  pastor,  Rev.  George  I.  Taylor,  began  his  ministry  Jan .  1st,  1874.  The 
present  members  of  consistory  are,  Elders  :  Gerardus  Clute,  Douw  Lansing,  Jacob 
Van  Denberg.  Deacons :  Jesse  Fonda,  Benjamin  Reamer,  Wm.  Lambert. 

5 


34  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1795. 

"  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  unanimous  opinion  of  this  Board 
that  it  is  practicable  to  be  done,  and  that  considering  the 
inconveniences  the  inhabitants  and  travelers  are  under  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year,  we  conceive  that  it  will  be  of 
great  use  to  have  a  bridge  about  that  place  and  well  worthy 
the  Legislaters  consideration.  Ordered,  that  the  Clerk  of 
this  Board  enclose  a  Copy  of  this  Resolution  in  a  letter  to 
the  Members  for  the  County  of  Albany.  We  the  Mayor, 
Aldermen  and  Comonalty  of  the  city  of  Albany  do  certify 
and  declare  that  we  conceive  that  the  erecting  of  a  Bridge 
below  the  Cahos  will  greatly  tend  for  the  benefit  and  con- 
veniency  of  the  publick  &  will  in  particular  encourage  the 
Settlements  to  the  Northward  of  the  said  Bridge." 

The  bridge  was  first  opened  for  travel  July  24,  1795.  It 
was  900  feet  long,  twenty-four  feet  wide,  fifteen  feet  above 
the  bed  of  the  river  and  rested  on  thirteen  stone  piers.  Its  cost 
was  $12,000.  It  was  located  several  hundred  feet  west  of  the 
site  of  the  rail  road  bridge,  the  Cohoes  end  being  a  short  dis 
tance  north  of  the  present  termination  of  Remsen  street. 
An  excavation  in  the  rock,  yet  visible,  marks  the  place 
where  it  rested  upon  the  Waterford  side.  The  gate  house, 
which  was  on  this  side  of  the  river,  was  for  many  years 
tended  by  Jacob  Winnie,  a  blacksmith.  The  bridge  was 
one  of  the  best  then  existing  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  was  frequently  mentioned  in  books  of  travel. 

In  the  writings  of  the  Count  Rochefoucauld  Liancourt, 
from  which  a  quotation  has  previously  been  made,  it  was 
described  as  follows  : 

"  This  bridge  is  erected  on  the  spot  where  the  Cohoez 
Falls  appear  to  the  greatest  advantage.  It  is  constructed 
of  timber  and  rests  on  stone  pillars  about  twenty-five  or 
thirty  feet  distant  from  each  other.  The  masonry  is  not 
remarkable  for  solidity  or  neatness  ;  but  the  carpenter's 
work  is  exceedingly  well  done." 

An  act  in  regard  to  the  bridge  was  passed  by  the  legis 
lature,  April  3,  1797,  in  which  the  rates  of  toll  were  fixed 
as  follows  : 

"  To  make  adequate  provision  for  keeping  the  bridge  in 


1798.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  35 

good  repair,  it  is  enacted:  That  from  and  after  the  first 
day  of  June  next,  the  following  toll  shall  be  collected  from 
every  person  crossing  said  bridge,  viz  :  For  every  carriage 
crossing  the  said  bridge  and  drawn  by  a  single  horse,  six 
cents  ;  for  every  wheel  carriage  or  sled  crossing  said  bridge 
and  drawn  by  two  horses,  mules,  or  other  working  cattle, 
the  sum  of  eight  cents  ;  for  every  carriage  or  sled  drawn  by 
more  than  two  horses,  two  mules,  or  two  other  working 
cattle,  at  and  after  the  rate  of  two  cents  for  each  additional 
creature  ;  for  a  man  and  horse  or  mule  the  sum  of  four 
cents  ;  for  every  single  horse,  mare,  colt  or  mule  the  sum 
of  one  cent  ;  for  every  bull,  oxa  cow,  heifer  or  calf,  the  sum 
of  two  cents,  and  for  sheep  and  hogs,  at  and  after  the  rate 
of  ten  cents  per  score." 

The  toll  house  and  gates  were  to  be  erected  and  the  col 
lector  of  tolls  to  be  appointed  by  "  the  supervisor  of  the 
town  of  Watervliet,  and  the  supervisor  of  the  town  of 
Half  Moon,"  who  were  also  directed  to  apply  the  surplus 
money  "  to  the  clearing  away  and  removing  the  rock  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  said  bridge,  and  in  repairing  and 
amending  the  highways  in  the  said  counties  of  Albany  and 
Saratoga,  leading  to  and  from  the  said  bridge." 

This  act  was  amended  by  the  passage  of  an  act  March 
30,  1*798,  which  appointed  John  Hazard  of  the  town  of 
Half  Moon  and  Peter  S.  Schuyler  of  the  town  of  Watervliet, 
as  commissioners  "  with  full  power  yearly  and  every  year 
hereafter,  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  May  to  sell  at  public  ven- 
due  the  toll  of  the  bridge  together  with  the  toll  house  be 
longing  to  the  same  for  the  term  of  one  year  then  next 
ensuing."  By  this  act,  also,  a  penalty  was  established  of  $15, 
to  be  imposed  upon  any  one  who  should  break  open  the  toll 
gates,  and  it  was  declared  unlawful  for  any  one  to  keep  a 
tavern  or  inn  at  the  toll  house. 

On  petition  of  Matthew  Gregory  and  Gradus  Van  Schoon- 
hoven,  then  lessees  of  the  bridge,  who  set  forth  that  as  it 
had  been  much  injured  by  ice  and  water,  the  tolls  were  in 
sufficient  to  pay  for  the  necessary  repairs,  the  legislature,  in 
an  act  passed  April  4,  1801,  authorized  the  commissioners 


36  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1806. 

to  increase  the  rates  of  toll  to  the  requisite  figure,  with  the 
restriction  that  the  increase  should  not  be  over  33£  per 
cent,  or  be  continued  more  than  four  years. 

The  Cohoes  Bridge  Company,  consisting  of  Samuel 
Stewart,  Ira  Scott,  John  I.  Close,  Guert  Van  Schoonhoven, 
Moses  Scott,  Henry  Davis  and  Samuel  Demarest,  was  in 
corporated  April  4,  1806,  "for  the  purpose  of  rebuilding 
the  state  bridge  over  the  Mohawk  River,"  it  having  been 
severely  damaged  by  the  ice.  The  stock  of  the  company  was 
limited  to  three  hundred  shares  of  twenty-five  dollars  each. 
New  rates  of  toll  were  fixed,  considerably  higher  than  those 
of  1797. 

The  completion  of  the  bridge  was  of  course  followed  by 
some  little  change  in  the  life  of  the  inhabitants.  A  means 
of  communication  was  furnished  to  parts  of  the  adjoining 
country  wThich  had  previously  been  difficult  of  access,  and 
as  the  amount  of  travel  by  the  new  route  was  considerable, 
the  hamlet  doubtless  assumed  a  slight  appearance  of  activity. 
The  road,  beside  being  generally  used  by  the  farmers  in  the 
vicinity,  became  one  of  the  main  routes  to  the  north,  and  in 
later  years  was  traversed  by  the  stage  coaches  running  from 
Albany  to  Ballston  Spa  and  other  points.  A  tavern  was 
established  in  the  house  on  the  farm  before  described  as 
Gerret  Witbeck's,  Richard  Heamstreet  being  proprietor. 


1811.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES-  37 


m. 

FROM  THE  INCORPORATION  OF  THE  COHOES  MANUFACTUR 
ING  COMPANY,  1811,  TO  THE  COMMENCEMENT  OF  OPERA 
TIONS  BY  THE  COHOES  COMPANY,  1830. 

-L  HITS  far  in  the  history  of  Cohoes,  there  had  been  no 
indications  of  the  importance  which  it  was  destined  to  assume 
as  a  manufacturing  town.  As  at  other  points  along  the 
river,  several  small  mills  had  been  established,  but  they  were 
comparatively  unimportant,  and  there  was  little  to  distin 
guish  the  place  from  other  farming  settlements  in  the 
neighborhood.  Early  in  the  present  century,  however,  the 
advantages  of  this  locality  for  manufacturing  purposes  were 
recognized,  and  on  a  small  scale  the  first  attempt  was  made 
to  utilize  them. 

In  1811,  the  Cohoes  Manufacturing  Company,  composed 
entirely  of  gentlemen  from  Lansingburg,  was  incorporated, 
being  one  of  the  first  corporations  formed  under  the  "  general 
act"  of  that  year.  A  tract  of  sixty  acres  on  the  bank  of 
the  river,  which  was  part  of  the  Heamstreet  farm,1  together 
with  the  water  privilege,  was  secured,  and  land  was  also 
purchased  from  Jacobus  Yan  Schoonhoven  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  embracing  what  is  now  known  as  Simmons's 
Island.  The  property  belonging  to  the  patroon  was  trans 
ferred  to  Gerret  Peebles,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  companyj 

1  This  tract,  known  for  some  years  as  the  Factory  lot,  and  which  afterward  came 
into  possession  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  comprised  all  that  part  of  the  Heamstreet 
farm  which  lay  east  of  Mohawk  street,  down  to  a  point  near  Columbia  street. 
The  southern  limit  may  be  described  according  to  landmarks  now  in  existence, 
as  a  line  extending  from  the  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  rail  road  crossing  (near 
Steenberg's  carriage  shop)  to  the  river,  passing  by  Geo.  Ducharme's  house  and  the 
new  gas  works.  The  annual  rental  was  seven  bushels  of  wheat.  A  new  lease  was 
at  the  same  time  executed  to  Charles  Heamstreet  for  the  remainder  of  his  farm, 
145i/a  acres. 


38  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1811. 

May  20.  The  certificate  of  incorporation,  filed  June  18  in 
the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state,  was  as  follows  : 

"  This  may  certify  that  Timothy  Leonard,  Elijah  Janes, 
Garret  Peebles,  Calvin  Barker,  Elias  Parmelee,  Sylvanus 
J.  Penniman,  Ebenezer  W.  Walbridge,  John  Stewart, 
Joseph  Fox,  Jacob  L.  Lansing,  James  Adams,  Elisha  Janes, 
John  Pierce  and  Seth  Seelye,  in  the  village  of  Lansingburg 
in  the  county  of  Rensselaer,  and  state  of  New  York,  have 
associated  and  formed  themselves  into  a  company  according 
to  the  act  entitled  '  an  act  relative  to  Incorporations  for  man 
ufacturing  purposes,  passed  March  22,  1811,'  by  the  name 
of  *  The  Cohoes  Manufacturing  Company,'  for  the  purposes 
of  manufacturing  Cotton,  Woolen  and  Linen  goods,  making 
bar-iron,  Anchors,  Mill  Irons,  nail  rods,  Hoop-iron  and 
Iron  Mongery.  That  the  Capital  Stock  of  said  company 
shall  be  One  Hundred  Thousand  Dollars  and  the  number 
of  shares  two  thousand.  The  stock,  property  and  concerns 
of  the  said  company  shall  be  conducted  and  managed  by 
seven  trustees,  and  Timothy  Leonard,  Calvin  Barker,  Gerrit 
Peebles,  Elias  Parmelee,  Elijah  Janes,  Ebenezer  W.  Wai- 
bridge  and  Seth  Seelye,  shall  be  the  Trustees  to  manage 
the  concerns  of  said  company  for  the  first  year,  commencing 
on  the  day  of  the  filing  of  this  certificate  in  the  Secretary's 
office  of  this  State.  The  operations  of  the  said  Company 
will  be  carried  on  at  Cohoesville  in  the  town  of  Watervliet, 
in  the  county  of  Albany  and  state  aforesaid,  on  the  west 
Bank  of  the  Mohawk  River,  a  little  distance  southeast  of 
the  Cohoes  bridge." 

The  first  enterprise  in  which  the  company  engaged  was 
the  manufacture  of  screws  ;  a  wing  dam  was  built,  and  a 
building  (on  the  site  now  occupied  by  Weed  &  Becker's 
axe  factory)  was  erected  soon  after  the  incorporation. 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  company,  in  purchasing  so 
large  a  tract  of  land,  to  lay  it  out  and  improve  it  so  as  to 
afford  sites  for  further  manufacturing  establishments  which 
in  time  could  be  disposed  of  to  other  parties,  but  no  move 
ment  of  the  sort  appears  to  have  been  made,  and  for  some 
years,  at  least,  the  operations  of  the  Company  were  confined 
to  this  factory.  The  operatives  employed  were  mostly 
from  New  York.  Several  large  wooden  tenements,  still 


1813.  HISTORY  or  COHOES.  39 

standing,  (between  Saratoga  street  and  the  canal)  were  built 
for  their  accommodation,  on  the  knoll  at  the  west  of  the 
factory. 

The  first  superintendent  employed  by  the  company  was 
named  Pierce,  who  was  succeeded  in  1813  by  Col.  Prescott. 

Horatio  Spafford,  who  was  a  resident  of  Lansingburg,  and 
was  doubtless  acquainted  with  his  townsmen  who  were 
engaged  in  this  enterprise,  appears  to  have  been  the  first 
writer  to  mention  the  wonderful  facilities  offered  by  this 
locality  for  manufacturing  purposes.  In  his  Gazetteer  of 
New  York  State  (1st  ed.,  1813),  he  said,  under  the  head  of 
Half-Moon  : 

"  The  Cahoos  Falls  of  the  Mohawk,  near  its  mouth,  are 
between  this  town  and  Watervliet,  and  will  supply  a  vast 
profusion  of  sites  when  the  surrounding  population  shall 
need  extensive  works.  There  are  now  mills  erected  upon 
the  upper  sprout  or  delta  of  that  river  just  at  Waterford 
Point  where  it  meets  the  Hudson." 

Under  the  title  of  Watervliet,  the  following  appeared  in 
regard  to  Cohoes  : 

"  About  three  miles  N.  of  Gibbonsville  (West  Troy)  there 
is  a  bridge  across  the  Mohawk,  a  short  distance  below  the 
Cahoos  Falls.  The  roads  are  numerous  in  the  interior,  but 
they  are  rather  paths  than  highways.  The  Cahoos,  being 
the  principal  falls  of  the  Mohawk,  are  between  Watervliet 
and  Half  Moon  in  Saratoga  Co.  The  whole  waters  of  the 
Mohawk  descend  in  one  sheet  at  high  water,  about  70 
feet.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  Cahoos  is  a  Dutch  church  and 
farming  neighborhood  commonly  called  the  Boght.  Since 
the  above  was  written,  a  manufactory  of  screws  of  iron  for 
woodwork,  erected  on  the  lower  sprout  of  the  Mohawk  near 
the  Cahoos  bridge,  has  got  into  successful  operation. 

Works  are  about  to  be  added  for  drawing  the  wire  from 
which  the  screws  are  formed,  when  the  iron  will  be  taken  in 
the  bar,  and  manufactured  into  screws,  now  made  of  foreign 
wire.  The  machinery  is  all  driven  by  water,  and  is  said  to 
be  very  ingenious,  the  invention  of  a  self-taught  artist,  Mr. 
Wm.  C.  Penniman.  Some  samples  of  the  screws  which  I 
have  seen  appear  to  be  well  formed,  and  they  are  cut  with 


40  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1813. 

great  dispatch.  These  works  are  owned  by  an  incorporated 
company  with  a  sufficient  capital,  and  are  situated  directly 
opposite  Lansingburg,  and  about  two  miles  below  Water- 
ford."! 

It  is  probable  that  the  establishment  of  this  factory  made 
little  difference  in  the  general  life  of  the  hamlet.  It  was 
situated  some  distance  from  the  main  road,  accessible  only 
by  a  rough  path  through  the  woods  (now  Oneida  street), 
its  proprietors  and  operatives  were  all  strangers,  and  beyond 
the  interest  naturally  awakened  by  the  first  operations,  the 
enterprise  received  but  slight  attention  from  the  inhabitants. 

One  event,  however,  which  was  of  general  importance, 
was  perhaps  brought  about  by  the  accession  of  the  families 
of  the  factory  operatives.  The  only  school  house  in  the 
neighborhood  previously,  had  been  located  at  the  Boght, 
but  another  was  established  about  this  time,  which  was 
more  accessible  to  many  of  the  inhabitants.  The  school 
was  first  located  in  a  building  on  the  main  road,  afterwards 
occupied  as  a  residence  by  Israel  Anthony,  a  shoe-maker, 
and  still  later  by  Wm.  Link.-  The  first  teacher  was  a  man 
named  O'Neil.  About  the  same  time  or  soon  afterward,  a 
school  building  was  erected  a  short  distance  above  the 
Heamstreet  farm  house. :!  Supply  F.  Wilson  was  one  of 
the  early  teachers. 

About  this  time  the  manufacture  of  writing  paper  was 
commenced  in  Gerret  Clute's  mill  near  the  Falls.  The 
building  had  not  been  used  as  a  grist  mill  for  some  time, 
and  was  occupied  for  several  years  as  a  cloth  establishment 
for  dressing  common  farmers'  flannel.  The  proprietor  of 
the  paper  mill  was  Elisha  Sheldon,  who  employed  a  man 


1  John  M.  King,  who  as  a  boy  was  employed  in  the  screw  factory,  is  now  living  in 
Lansingburg. 

2  Near  the  corner  of  Oneida  and  Mohawk  streets,  on  the  site  of  the  residence  of 
M.  S.  Younglove. 

8  On  Saratoga  street  on  the  site  occupied  by  the  Red  or  State-yard  school  house. 


1816.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  41 

named  Ensign  as  his  superintendent.     Two  wooden  tene 
ments  were  erected  near  the  mill. ] 

In  1815  or  1816,  the  screw  factory  was  burned,  and  this 
appears  to  have  interrupted  for  a  time  the  operations  of  the 
company.  A  great  part  of  the  stock  changed  hands,  most 
of  it  coming  into  possession  of  Benjamin  and  Samuel  De 
Milt  of  New  York,  and  after  some  delay  a  new  building 
was  erected,  which  was  occupied  as  a  cotton  factory.  In 
connection  with  it  a  small  factory  was  afterward  estab 
lished  for  the  manufacture  of  shovels  and  other  tools 
which  was  conducted  by  Collin  and  Jones.  Few  particulars 
in  regard  to  it  can  be  obtained. 

About  the  year  1820,  the  first  church  building  within 
the  present  limits  of  Cohoes  was  erected.  It  was  a  small 
wooden  structure,  located  above  the  north  line  of  the 
Charles  Heam street  farm,  near  what  is  now  the  north 
west  corner  of  Mohawk  and  White  streets.  But  little 
can  be  ascertained  in  regard  to  the  history  of  the 
church.  It  was  of  the  Methodist  denomination,  and 
was  organized  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  the  different 
Heamstreet  families.  The  services  were  conducted  by 
Jacob  Heamstreet  and  a  man  named  Whipple  of  Lansing- 
burg,  as  exhorters,  but  there  is  no  record  that  a  clergy 
man  was  ever  regularly  settled.  The  building  was  only 
used  about  two  years,  when  disputes  of  some  sort  arose 
and  the  services  were  abandoned.  It  remained  for  some  time 
unoccupied,  and  was  afterward  converted  into  a  dwelling 
house.  Directly  in  front  of  this  church  was  located  the 
ninth  mile  stone  from  Albany.  The  eighth  mile  stone  was 
near  Jacob  H.  Lansing's  house. 

The  construction  of  the  Erie  and  Champlain  Canals,  which 
was  begun  in  1817,  and  completed,  at  least  in  this  vicinity, 
in  1823,  was  the  first  event  to  cause  a  noticeable  change  in 


1  The  mill  was  destroyed  about  1832,  when  the  improvements  of  the  Cohoes  Com 
pany  were  in  progress. 

6 


42  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1823. 

the  character  of  the  place.  It  may  well  be  imagined  that 
the  equanimity  of  its  quiet  Dutch  inhabitants  was  seriously 
disturbed  by  the  projection  of  these  improvements,  and  that 
they  regarded  the  invasion  of  their  domains  with  a  disfavor 
which  no  awards  of  land  damages  could  remove.  Every 
farm  was  traversed  by  one  or  both  of  the  canals.  Both 
passed  directly  in  front  of  the  residence  of  Abram  G.  Lan 
sing,  marring  the  lawn  which  extended  from  the  house  to 
the  river,  and  destroying  much  of  the  beauty  of  his  country 
place  —  while  the  next  farm  on  the  north,  belonging  to 
Charles  Heamstreet,  was  damaged  almost  as  greatly.  The 
front  yard  of  the  farm  house  was  cut  off  by  the  Champlain 
Canal,  leaving  no  means  of  access  to  the  highway,  except  by  a 
bridge  which  was  built  a  short  distance  above  the  house,  and 
soon  afterward  Mr.  Heamstreet  disposed  of  the  farm,  and 
moved  away,  his  reason  being,  it  is  said,  disgust  at  this 
mutilation  of  his  property.  The  other  farmers,  whose  lands 
were  all  more  or  less  injured,  appear  to  have  been  more 
resigned  to  the  innovation,  though  it  was  doubtless  equally 
unwelcome. 

The  junction  of  the  Erie  and  Champlain  Canals  (located 
near  the  site  of  the  stables  of  the  Troy  and  Cohoes  Horse 
Rail  Road  Company  on  Saratoga  street  north  of  the  dyke], 
gave  this  locality  some  little  importance  in  the  early 
days  of  canal  navigation.  On  the  occasion  of  the  canal 
celebration  Oct.  8th,  1823,  the  Dewitt  Clinton,  the  first 
boat  to  pass  from  the  Erie  Canal  into  the  Hudson,  was  here 
met  by  the  joint  committee  of  the  common  council  and 
citizens  of  Albany,  who  escorted  to  that  city  the  passengers, 
consisting  of  Gov.  Yates,  the  canal  commissioners,  and  other 
prominent  officials.  It  was  at  this  point  that  the  slight  ac 
tivity  in  the  place,  which  followed  the  regular  opening  of 
navigation,  was  chiefly  manifested.  The  construction  of 
the  canals  brought  to  Cohoes  quite  a  number  of  new  in 
habitants,  some  of  whom  came  during  the  progress  of  the 
work  and  others  soon  after  its  completion.  Houses  were 


1823.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  43 

built,  and  canal  groceries,  stables,  and  similar  concerns  es 
tablished  at  different  points.  The  most  important  of  these 
were  at  the  junction,  at  which  place  the  principal  settlers 
were  Messrs.  Crowner,  Waterman  and  Phelps.  The  house 
of  Mr.  Waterman,  who  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace 
in  the  neighborhood,  was  situated  on  the  hill  just  south  of 
the  ravine  at  the  northwest  of  the  junction,  and  those  of 
Crowner  and  Phelp*s  were  by  the  canal  north  of  the  site  of 
the  horse  rail  road  stables.  Among  other  families  which 
came  to  Cohoes  about  this  time  were  those  of  Messrs.  Henry 
En  Earl,  Flannigan,  Beecher,  Wolcott  and  Herkimer. 

The  boats  at  this  time  only  ran  during  the  day  and  there 
was  consequently  a  demand  for  lodgings  for  the  boatmen 
and  stabling  for  their  horses,  which  was  the  means  of 
supporting  several  small  taverns  ;  of  these  the  most  im 
portant  was  the  one  which  had  been  established  by  Richard 
Heamstreet,  and  was  then  kept  by  Andrews.  Another  was 
located  in  the  old  Ouderkirk  or  Fonda  farm-house,  which 

was  kept  by  —   —  Dyer  and  afterward  by Williams. 

Connected  with  this  was  a  large  barn  (burned  a  few  years 
since)  which  stood  on  the  flats  between  the  canal  and  the 
river,  and  furnished  accommodations  for  a  number  of  canal 
teams.  On  the  hill  was  the  Cohoes  House  owned  by  the 
Van  Der  Marks,  who  had  leased  the  southwest  portion  of 
the  Clute  farm.  This  was  located  near  the  bridge  which 
crosses  the  present  Erie  Canal  by  the  Boght  road.1 

With  the  exception  of  some  alterations  made  three  years 
since,  near  the  old  junction,  the  course  of  the  Champlain 
Canal,  near  Cohoes,  has  remained  as  originally  laid  out. 
The  old  Erie  Canal  ran  north  from  the  junction,  passing  over 
the  ground  now  occupied  by  Main  street,  and  the  third  and 
second  levels  of  the  Cohoes  Company's  canals.  Above  the 
Falls  it  ran  in  a  north  westerly  direction,  being  at  the  west  of 


1  This  was  torn  down  in  1875.    In  later  years  it  was  called  the  Old  House  atHome^ 
and  was  kept  by  Geo.  Bray. 


44  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1823. 

the  present  location  of  the  Cohoes  Company's  upper  level. 
Within  the  space  now  included  between  the  northern  and 
southern  boundaries  of  the  city  were  nineteen  locks,  fol 
lowing  each  other  in  rapid  succession.  Two  of  these  were 
below  the  junction,  and  seven  between  the  junction  and  the 
road  to  Watervliet,  now  Columbia  street.  The  next  one  was 
located  near  what  is  now  White  street,  and  the  old  lock 
house  (on  the  east  side  of  Main  street),  is  still  standing  ; 
three  more  were  situated  near  the  site  now  occupied  by  the 
jute  mill  (formerly  paper  mill)  on  Mohawk  street,  and  two 
others  occupied  the  ground  near  where  the  pump  house  now 
stands.  Between  the  Three  Locks  and  the  Two  Locks,  near 
the  site  of  the  Harmony  Mills,  was  a  large  basin,  capable  of 
holding  thirty  or  forty  boats,  which  at  night  was  often 
filled.  A  canal  grocery,  owned  by  Oliver  C.  Hubbard,  was, 
about  1828,  located  on  one  of  the  Two  Locks.  The 
last  locks,  four  in  number,  were  near  the  present  northern 
boundary  of  the  city. 

These  locks  were  an  object  of  great  dislike  to  travelers 
and  boatmen,  whose  progress  was  seriously  impeded  by 
them  in  busy  seasons  when  boats  were  numerous.  To  avoid 
wasting  the  time  which  would  have  been  employed  in  the 
tedious  journey  from  Albany  to  the  upper  locks,  a  line  of 

stage  coaches  was  established  by Allen,  a  few  years 

after  the  opening  of  the  canals,  which  connected  with  the 
packets  just  above  the  locks.  These  coaches,  on  some  days 
five  or  six  in  number,  came  up  from  Albany  every  morning 
bringing  westward  bound  passengers  and  returned  at  night 
with  those  who  had  come  in  from  the  opposite  direction. 
The  horses  were  stabled  during  the  day  at  the  Van  Der 
Mark  tavern. 

In  Spafford's  Canal  Guide,  published  1824  and  1825,  the 
following  objects  of  interest  in  Cohoes  at  that  time  were 
mentioned  : 

"  Between  Albany  and  Schenectady,  twenty-eight  and  a 


1823.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  45 

half  miles,  a  day  is  employed,  there  being  so  many  locks  to 
pass  ;  but  every  person  is  well  compensated  for  the  time 
and  expense  of  at  least  one  trip,  passing  twenty-seven  locks, 
two  aqueducts,  and  an  interesting  variety  of  natural 
scenery 

Miles  from  Albany. 

8£  Juncta,  or  the  junction  where  the  Erie  receives  the 
Champlain  Canal  by  a  navigable  feeder  from  the  Mohawk, 
below  which  there  is  a  basin  and  2  locks,  Nos.  3  and  4, 
2  of  the  Nine  Locks.  No.  3  to  11,  in  about  half  a  mile  rise 
78  feet.  Here  are  two  locks  the  commencement  of  a 
double  set  now  building  of  the  white  marble  of  West- 
chester  Co. 

r.  from  Juncta  by  Champlain  Canal  to  Waterford,  2  miles. 

1.  A.  G.  Lansing's  at  lock  No.  6. 

9  Lock  No.  12,  rise  8  feet. 

9i  The  Three  Locks,  Nos.  13,  14  and  15,  rise  26  ft.,  opposite 

Gahoos  Bridge. 
9*  The  Two  Locks,  Nos.  16  and  17  rise  18  ft.,  Nos.  13,  14, 

15,  16,  the  4  Marble  Locks. 

10  Deep    cutting,    26   ft.,    40    rods,   transition     argillite 
r.  Cahoos  Falls,  perpendicular  descent  78  ft. 

10i  r.  Paper  Mill  on  Mohawk  River. 

10J  The  Four  Locks,  Nos.  18,  19,  20,  21,  rise  32  ft. 

r.  Wing  dam,  and  grist  saw  and  plaster  mill. l  " 

The  points  mentioned  on  the  Champlain  Canal  were 
Whiting's  factory, '-'  the  cotton  factory  and  the  dam, 
the  latter  of  which  is  thus  described.  "2  m.  Dam,  Mohawk 
River,  7  ft.  pond  1600  ft.  wide,  back  water  53  rods,  navi 
gation  through  the  pond,  guard  locks,  feeder  for  Erie 
Canal." 

In  the  second  edition  of  Spafford's   Gazetteer,  published 

1824,  the  place  was  described  as  follows  : 


1  The  plaster  mill,  belonging  to  the  Lansing  family,  had  not  been  long  in  opera 
tion.    It  was  located  in  an  addition  which  was  built  at  the  south  of  the  original 
saw  and  irrist  mills.    The  building  was  used  a  few  years  later  for  the  manufacture 
of  coarse  wrapping  paper. 

2  This  was  the  mill  which  had  been  conducted  by  John  Heamstreet.    It  came  into 
the  possession  of  the  Whitings  of  Troy,  and  was  used  some  years  as  a  candle  factory. 
The  frame  of  the  mill  remained  standing  as  late  as  1837.    The  house  occupied  by 
the  Whitings,  and  in  later  years  known  as  the  Alcombrack  house,  is  still  standing, 
near  the  site  of  the  old  mill. 


46  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1823. 

"  The  detention  of  boats  in  passing  the  numerous  locks 
near  here  will  help  the  proprietors  towards  making  this  a 
place  of  business,  particularly  if  they  connect  it  with  mill 

works  and  factories,  as  they  may  well  do I  have 

perhaps  rather  whimsically  named  the  new  town  which  the 
proprietors  mean  to  have  at  the  place  where  the  Erie  Canal 
receives  the  Champlain  Canal,  Juncta,  but  if  they  make  a 
town  or  village  there,  I  may  at  least  make  a  name  for  it  until 
they  give  it  one.  It  is  a  pretty  spot,  and  if  they  give  it 
water  power  and  hydraulic  works,  there  will  soon  collect 
about  it  people  enough  to  make  a  handsome  little  village." 

The  cotton  factory  of  the  Cohoes  Manufacturing  Company, 

of  which Sayres  was  at  the  time  agent,  was  spoken  of 

as  Prescotfs  factory,  "  a  stone  building,  near  the  Cahoos 
bridge  and  the  ruins  of  the  screw  factory  mentioned  in  the 
first  edition  of  this  work.  It  is  owned  principally  in  Lan- 
singburg." 

It  was  at  the  time  the  only  cotton  factory  in  the  county. 
The  design  of  the  company  to  establish  here  a  manufactur 
ing  village,  referred  to  in  the  above  extract,  is  described  at 
greater  length  in  a  memorial  drawn  up  for  presentation  to 
the  canal  commissioners  by  the  trustees,  soon  after  the 
opening  of  the  canal.  In  this  it  was  stated  that  they 
had  purchased  lands  and  water  privileges  from  Stephen 

Van  Rensselaer  and  Jacobus  Van  Schoonhoven  "  for  which 
lands  and  water  privileges  there  has  been  paid  by  the  trust 
ees  of  the  Cohoes  Manufacturing  Company  to  the  aforesaid 
persons  the  sum  of  four  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy- 
one  dollars.  Your  memorialists  further  represent  that 
at  the  time  of  making  the  above  purchases  they  had  ascer 
tained  that  the  lands  so  purchased,  together  with  the  water 
privileges,  would  furnish  sites  and  power  for  twenty-two 
manufacturing  establishments  ;  that  the  ultimate  value  of 
so  many  sites  for  hydraulic  machinery  your  memorialists 
calculated  would  indemnify  them  for  the  extraordinary 
price  paid  for  the  aforesaid  premises,  and  the  expenses 
which  they  might  incur  in  commencing  operations  which 
were  yet  new  in  this  country  ;  that  with  the  view  of  dis 
posing  of  sites  to  purchasers,  they  have  had  their  land  sur 
veyed  and  laid  out  into  proper  lots,  and  have  excavated  a 


1823.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  47 

canal  nearly  through  their  land,  forty  feet  wide,  at  an  ex 
pense  of  three  thousand  four  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  ; 
that  after  practicing  every  economy,  which  the  nature  of 
their  business  would  admit,  they  have  expended  on  the  pre 
mises  the  sum  of  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  for  which 
or  for  the  interest  that  has  accrued  thereon,  they  have  as 
yet  received  no  return.  Your  memorialists  beg  leave  further 
to  suggest  that  they  conceive  they  had  acquired  a  perfect 
title  to  all  the  above  mentioned  premises  ;  that  they  are 
entitled  to  an  adequate  compensation  for  the  damages  they 
sustain  by  the  loss  of  land  and  improvements  by  means  of 
the  canal  operation,  and  by  loss  of  privileges  occasioned  by 
the  use  and  diversion  of  the  waters  of  the  Mohawk,  and 
your  memorialists  beg  leave  further  to  suggest  the  propriety 
of  their  claim  to  the  waters  of  the  Mohawk,  beyond  what 
is  necessary  for  supplying  the  northern  and  western  locks 
and  canals  ;  and  your  memorialists  respectfully  solicit  your 
honorable  body  to  fix  upon  certain  regulations  under  which 
your  memorialists  may  have  leave  to  take  and  use  such  of 
the  waters  of  the  Mohawk  as  shall  not  be  wanted  for  canal 
purposes." 

From  various  reasons,  chiefly  lack  of  capital,  the  plans  of 
this  company  never  approached  completion.  The  opening 
of  the  canal  had,  however,  drawn  the  attention  of  other  par 
ties  to  the  feasibility  of  a  similar  enterprise,  and  in  1826, 
with  the  incorporation  of  the  Co  hoes  Company,  the  first 
steps  were  taken  towards  the  development,  on  a  large  scale, 
of  the  wonderful  natural  resources  of  the  place,  and  the 
foundation  was  laid  for  the  establishment  of  a  thriving  town. 

The  honor  of  originating  the  first  design  for  the  complete 
and  systematic  utilization  of  the  water  power  belongs  to 
Canvass  White,  of  whom  an  extended  notice  is  given  else 
where.  He  first  became  interested  in  the  project  while  en 
gaged  as  engineer  in  the  construction  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and 
being  convinced  of  its  importance,  devoted  himself  earnestly 
to  obtaining  means  for  its  execution.  Not  being  a  man  of 
large  property  himself,  he  sought  the  cooperation  of  a  num 
ber  of  capitalists  with  whom  he  had  acquaintance  —  promi 
nent  among  them  being  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  of  Albany, 


48  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1823. 

and  the  members  of  the  firm  of  Peter  Remsen  &  Co.  of 
New  York,  and  without  difficulty  gained  their  aid  in  the 
enterprise.  A  company  was  formed,  which  was  incorporated 
March  28th,  the  directors  named  in  the  charter  being  as 
follows:  Peter  Remsen,  Chas.  E.  Dudley,  Stephen  Van- 
Rensselaer  Jr.,  Francis  Olmstead,  Canvass  White,  Henry 
J.  Wyckoff  and  David  Wilkinson.  Their  election  held  in 
that  year  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Mr.  White  as  president, 
and  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  as  vice  president.  The  first  sec 
retary,  Mr.  Wyckoff,  was  not  elected  until  the  following 
year.  The  powers  of  the  company  in  regard  to  improve 
ments  were  thus  stated  in  the  charter: 

"  It  shall  and  may  be  lawful  for  the  said  corporation  to 
erect  and  maintain  a  dam  across  the  Mohawk  River,  opposite 
the  lands  belonging  to  said  corporation  above  the  great 
Cohoes  Falls  for  supplying  water  for  the  purpose  of  said 
corporation.  .  .  .  The  said  corporation  shall  have  full 
right,  power  and  authority  to  cut,  construct  and  make  a 
canal  or  canals  from  said  liver  upon  the  lands  of  said  cor 
poration,  to  supply  water  for  all  the  purposes  of  said  cor 
poration  ;  and  to  cut,  construct  and  make  upon  the  lands  of 
said  corporation  as  many  lateral  canals  connected  therewith 
as  may  be  necessary  to  supply  water  for  the  manufacturing 
establishments  which  may  be  erected,  and  also  to  afford 
such  water  communication  with  the  Erie  and  Champlain 
Canals  as  shall  be  approved  by  the  canal  commissioners  or 
such  other  person  or  persons  as  may  hereafter  be  appointed 
by  the  legislature,  having  the  superintendence  and  manage 
ment  of  said  canals  ;  and  may  also  at  any  time  hereafter 
purchase,  build,  or  hire  for  the  use  and  in  the  name  of  the 
said  corporation,  houses,  factories,  warehouses,  wharves  and 
other  necessary  buildings  and  to  sell  or  lease  any  part  or 
the  whole  of  the  above  mentioned  property,  and  also  any 
surplus  water  of  their  canals,  in  such  manner  as  they  may 
think  most  conducive  to  the  interest  of  said  corporation." 


The  capital  of  the  company  was  $250,000. 


1  Increased  in  1835,  to  $500,000  with  the  proviso  that  none  of  the  additional  capital 
should  be  employed  in  manufacturing  operations. 


1825.  HISTORY  or  COHOES.  49 

The  incorporation  of  this  company,  the  most  important 
event  thus  far  in  the  history  of  Cohoes,  had  no  immediate 
effect  upon  the  place.  Time  was  required  for  the  perfection 
of  plans  and  the  completion  of  necessary  arrangements,  so 
no  active  operations  were  at  once  commenced,  and  for  the 
next  few  years  but  little  is  to  be  recorded  concerning  the 
history  of  the  village. 

During  the  winter  of  1825-26,  the  locks  at  the  junction, 
which  had  proved  insufficient  to  accommodate  the  rapidly 
increasing  number  of  boats,  were  doubled.  A  new  bridge 
(on  the  site  of  the  present  one)  across  the  Mohawk  above  the 
dam  was  constructed  by  the  Cohoes  Bridge  Company,  which 
was  authorized  to  contract  with  the  canal  commissioners  for 
building  and  sustaining  a  tow  path  bridge  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Champlain  Canal,  and  was  empowered  to  change  the 
location  of  the  old  structure,  and  take  such  lands  of  the 
adjoining  shores  as  might  be  necessary.  The  new  bridge, 

built  by Hay  ward,  was  of  wood,  and  had  latticed 

sides,  being  one  of  the  first  so  constructed  in  the  neighbor 
hood.1  The  toll  collector  was  Jacob  Van  Der  Werken, 
who  had  been  the  last  collector  at  the  upper  bridge. 

After  the  completion  of  this  bridge,  efforts  were  made 
for  the  establishment  of  a  suitable  approach  to  it,  and  a 
survey  of  the  road  from  the  junction  north  was  made  by 
Wm.  Roberts  Jr.,  March  22,  1828,  as  follows  : 

"  The  road  is  laid  out  four  rods  wide  in  all  places,  measured 
at  right  angles  with  the  course  thereof.  Beginning  at  a  point 
in  the  centre  of  the  road  bearing  north  seventy-five  degrees 
and  fifty  minutes  west  thirty-nine  links  from  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  tavern  house  owned  by  A.  G.  Lansing,  and 
now  occupied  by  Henry  En  Earl  and  running  thence  upon 
the  centre  of  the  road  north  fourteen  degrees  and  ten 
minutes  east  to  the  centre  of  the  new  Cohoes  bridge  at  the 
south  end  thereof." 

For  some  reason  this  survey  was  never  recorded,  and  in 


1  It  was  partially  destroyed  by  ice,  in  1832,  but  remained  in  use  until  March,  1853 
when  it  was  burned.    The  last  toll  collector  wai  John  G.  Bonce, 

7 


50  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1828. 

later  years  various  parties  have  been  able  to  encroach  upon 
the  street  with  impunity.  When  the  state  buildings  were 
erected,  about  eight  years  later,  the  fence  projected  some 
distance  into  the  street.  Remonstrance  was  made  by  Hugh 
White,  then  president  of  the  Cohoes  Bridge  Company,  and  he 
was  assured  by  Clark  Sumner,  canal  superintendent,  that  the 
land  should  be  restored  any  time  it  was  needed  for  public 
purposes.  This,  however,  has  never  been  done. 

In  1828,  a  new  school  district  was  formed,  all  this  neigh 
borhood  having  been  previously  included  in  one  district, 
having  for  its  only  accommodation  the  Red  School  House. 
The  new  school  was  located  in  a  building  which  had  been 
used  as  a  boarding  house  during  the  construction  of  the 
bridge,  and  stood  near  the  site  of  the  old  freight  house  of  the 
Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  Rail  Road  Company,  on  Oneida 
street. 

In  1829,  the  cotton  factory  burned,  and  the  Cohoes 
Manufacturing  Company  was  broken  up.  The  last  agent 
of  the  company  was  Otis  Sprague,  and  its  trustees  at  the 
time  of  its  dissolution  were  :  B.  De  Milt,  Edward  Taylor, 
John  Sayre,  Calvin  Barker,  Joseph  Curtis,  Wm.  M.  Morrell 
and  Samuel  De  Milt.  The  enterprise  had  not  been  particu 
larly  successful,  financially,  and  the  proprietors  made  no 
effort  to  rebuild  and  continue  business,  probably  seeing 
that  their  concern  would  be  completely  overshadowed  in 
the  progress  of  the  operations  then  about  to  be  commenced 
by  the  Cohoes  Company. 


1831.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  51 


IV. 

1831  TO  1836. 

W  ITH  the  completion,  in  1831,  of  the  first  actual  im 
provements  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  commenced  a  new  era 
in  the  history  of  Cohoes. 

Though  this  neighborhood  had  been  settled  at  an  early 
day,  and  had  been  increased  in  population  and  activity  by 
the  establishment  of  the  factory  of  1811,  and  the  opening 
of  the  canals,  there  had  never  been  any  movement  toward 
a  regular  development  of  the  place.  The  early  inhabitants, 
occupied  only  with  their  farms  or  their  traffic  with  passing 
boatmen,  had  no  local  interests  in  common  which  would 
stimulate  them  to  an  effort  for  the  establishment  of  a  village, 
and  previous  to  this  time,  the  place,  hardly  entitled  to  be 
even  called  a  hamlet,  had  consisted  (aside  from  the  factory) 
of  the  half  dozen  farm  houses  at  intervals  along  the  banks 
of  the  river,  and  a  few  scattered  canal  groceries.  The  ad 
vent  of  new  inhabitants,  however,  all  engaged  directly  or 
indirectly  in  putting  to  practical  use  the  natural  advantages 
of  the  place,  and  having  a  common  interest  in  its  growth 
and  improvement,  infused  a  new  life  into  Cohoes,  and  its 
active  career  was  then  entered  upon. 

Early  in  the  season  a  wooden  dam  was  constructed  above 
the  Falls,  not  far  from  the  location  of  the  present  one.  At 
the  same  time  the  company  purchased  from  I.  D.  F.  Lan 
sing  a  large  tract  of  land  in  that  vicinity,  together  with  a 
portion  of  the  mill  privilege  which  had  been  the  property 
of  his  family  since  their  first  settlement  in  the  neighborhood. 
Mr.  Lansing  reserved  the  right  of  using  enough  water  for 
four  run  of  stone,  and  transferred  to  the  company  the  re 
mainder  of  the  water  power,  together  with  the  privilege  of 
constructing  the  dam  and  the  necessary  canals,  for  the  sum 


52  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1831. 

of  $12,495.  Further  accessions  had  been  made  by  the  pur 
chase  of  lands  on  the  opposite  or  Waterford  side  of  the 
river.  A  strip  one  rod  in  width,  extending  from  the  Falls 
to  the  dam,  was  purchased  from  Garret  Van  Schoonhoven 
in  1826,  for  $5,000,  thus  enabling  the  company  to  control 
the  entire  power  of  the  river  except  that  reserved  by  Mr. 
Lansing.  Other  tracts,  embracing  a  large  part  of  what  is 
now  known  as  Nortliside  and  extending  beyond  the  Shate- 
muck  Mill  property  on  the  Champlain  Canal,  were  purchased 
from  Joshua  Blower  at  different  times  from  1826  to  1838. [ 
The  officers  of  the  company  made  an  arrangement  by 
which  they  were  permitted  to  use  the  Erie  Canal  for  the 
purpose  of  supplying  water  to  factories  until  the  company 
could  complete  a  canal  of  its  own.  The  water  from  above 
the  dam  was  conveyed  into  the  Erie  Canal  just  below  the 
Four  Locks,  by  means  of  a  wooden  trunk  which  passed 
under  the  highway  near  I.  D.  F.  Lansing's  grist  mill. 

Having  thus  prepared  for  the  utilization  of  its  facilities 
the  company  began  to  invite  the  attention  of  capitalists  to 
the  locality,  and  take  measures  for  the  establishment  of  a 
village.  These  efforts,  though  not  resulting  as  favorably 
as  had  been  hoped,  still  had  the  effect  of  bringing  a  number 
of  new  inhabitants. 

One  of  the  first  settlers  led  here  in  consequence  of  the 
organization  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  was  Hugh  White, 
who  had  arrived  with  his  family  in  April,  1830.  He  had 
made  previous  arrangements  for  settling  here,  and  his  house 
on  the  Waterford  road  (the  lumber  for  which  had  been 
prepared  in  Chittenango,  N.  Y.,  and  was  shipped  on  the 
canal  ready  to  be  put  up),  was  nearly  completed  on  his 
arrival.  Mr.  White  took  the  place  of  his  brother  Canvass, 
who  was  often  away  attending  to  other  business,  in  super 
intending  the  early  improvements  of  the  company.  Early 
in  the  year  David  Wilkinson,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  L,  one  of 


1  This  land  was  originally  in  the  old  Van  Schaick  Patent. 


1831.  HISTORY  OF  COHOBS.  53 

the  Cohoes  Company,  after  urgent  solicitation  and  liberal 
offers  on  the  part  of  his  fellow  members,  decided  to  take 
up  his  residence  here,  and  arrived  in  April,  being  followed 
the  next  month  by  his  brother-in-law,  Hezekiah  Howe. 
These  gentlemen,  together  with  the  friends  who  accom 
panied  them,  had  a  most  important  part  in  shaping  the 
history  of  the  town.  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  one  of  the  fore 
most  mechanics  and  inventors  in  the  country,  and  was 
widely  known  to  manufacturers  and  capitalists.  Having 
suffered  heavily  in  the  business  depression  of  1829,  he,  with 
his  partner  Mr.  Howe,  determined  to  avail  himself  of 
the  opportunity  offered  for  trying  his  fortunes  in  a  new 
locality.  The  result  proved  how  well  grounded  were  the 
expectations  of  the  company  in  regard  to  the  effect  of  his 
ability  and  enterprise  on  the  growth  of  Cohoes. 

Among  the  friends  of  Messrs.  Wilkinson  and  Howe,  who 
arrived  here  about  the  same  time,  were  Joshua  R.  Clarke, 
John  Baker,  Nathaniel  Wheeler,  Samuel  Baldwin,  Pardon 
Whitman,  Robert  Leckie,  Geo.  H.  Kimball,  and  John 
Tillinghast. 

The  prospects  for  the  new  comers  were  not  particularly 
encouraging.  The  best  accommodations  to  be  had  were 
afforded  by  Mr.  Faulkner,  who  then  kept  the  Richard  Heam- 
street  tavern,  and  they  were  of  the  most  limited  description. 
Mr.  Howe  and  his  family,  after  boarding  for  some  little 
time  at  this  place,  took  up  their  residence  in  the  house  on 
the  southwest  corner  of  Oneida  and  Saratoga  streets,  which 
had  previously  been  occupied  by  employes  of  the  Cohoes 
Manufacturing  Company  ;  Mr.  Wilkinson  took  possession 
of  the  Whiting  house,  near  the  river  ;  Mr.  Clarke  occupied 
half  of  another  of  the  factory  houses,  below  Saratoga  street 
near  Ontario,  and  the  other  families  found  accommodations, 
for  the  most  part  temporary,  in  different  localities  in  the 
neighborhood.  At  this  time  there  were  not  over  twenty  or 
twenty-five  buildings  standing  on  the  ground  which  is  now 


54  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1831. 

the  most  thickly  settled  portion  of  the  city,  and  mention 
has  already  been  made  of  the  greater  part  of  them.  Among 
the  most  important  were  the  old  farm  houses  on  the  Lansing 
and  Heamstreet  properties,  the  dwellings  of  Crowner, 
Waterman,  Phelps,  and  En  Earl  at  the  junction,  and  the 
factory  tenements  near  the  state  dam.  On  the  west  side  of 
Mohawk  street,  near  its  junction  with  Oneida, '  was  quite  a 
settlement,  the  principal  house  being  that  of  Jacob  Van 
Der  Werken  ;  opposite  to  this,  and  nearly  on  the  site  of  the 
present  residence  of  Geo.  Lawrence,  lived  a  man  named 
Rice.  Next  door  to  Van  Der  Werken's  was  the  dwelling  of 
Washington  Cavan,  which  now  forms  part  of  the  offices  of 
P.  D.  Niver,  and  Justice  Redmond.  South  of  this  was 
the  dwelling  of  Wm.  Link,  which  has  been  before  referred 
to  as  occupied  by  Israel  Anthony.  On  Mohawk  street, 
opposite  the  present  City  Hotel  (the  site  of  which  was  then 
occupied  by  a  large  Dutch  bam  belonging  to  the  Richard 
Heamstreet  farm),  was  a  small  cottage  occupied  by  Mr. 
Robinson  ;  on  the  bank  of  the  river  the  gate  house  of  the 
old  bridge  was  still  standing,  and  was  occupied  by  Capt. 
Andrews.  On  the  hill,  besides  the  Lansing  farm  houses 
and  the  Van  Der  Mark  tavern  or  Cohoes  House,  there  was 
nothing  except  the  canal  groceries  of  Hubbard  and  Revels. 
The  first  house  south  of  Link's  was  that  of  Isaac  Fletcher, 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  Mohawk  and  Pine  ;  adjoining 
this  were  two  or  three  small  buildings,  one  of  which  was 
occupied  by  a  man  named  Crabbe.  The  Methodist  church, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  was  then  unoccupied  ; 
Dr.  Tracy,  the  first  physician,  it  is  said,  who  settled  in 
Cohoes,  had  a  house  on  the  north  side  of  Columbia  street, 
between  Main  and  Remsen  streets,  and  near  the  junction  of 
Mohawk  and  Saratoga  (on  the  site  of  the  residence  of 
Malachi  Weidman),  stood  a  small  dwelling  occupied  by 


1  In  speaking  of  these  localities,  I  am  compelled  to  use  the  names  of  our  present 
streets,  though  of  course  they  were  not  in  existence  at  that  time. 


1831.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  55 

Isaac  Van  Der  Werken.  Along  the  canal  may  have  been 
a  few  small  groceries,  and  here  and  there  an  occasional 
shanty,  but  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  there 
were  no  buildings  of  importance  then  standing  in  the  main 
part  of  the  village  besides  those  already  mentioned.  All  the 
land  west  of  the  Erie  Canal  was  yet  uncleared  ;  on  the  east 
a  great  part  of  it  was  unfit  for  farming  purposes  and  had 
been  neglected.  Between  the  canal  and  Remsen  street  was 
a  swamp  which,  for  a  number  of  years,  was  put  to  no  use 
except  as  a  cow  pasture.  The  character  of  the  land,  marshy 
and  full  of  quicksands,  proved  a  serious  obstacle  in  later 
years  to  many  who  were  building  in  that  locality.  Between 
Remsen  and  Mohawk  streets  the  soil  was  better  adapted 
for  cultivation,  and  on  part  of  it  a  crop  of  corn  had  been 
raised  in  the  previous  year.  The  block  between  Factory 
and  Oneida  streets  was  occupied  by  an  orchard  belonging 
to  the  Richard  Heamstreet  farm.  A  deep  ravine,  through 
which  had  once  flowed  a  brook  of  considerable  size,  passed 
from  the  canal  down  Ontario  street  across  Remsen,  and 
then  in  a  northeast  direction  to  Mohawk  street. 

At  this  time,  and  for  a  number  of  years  later,  there  was 
a  beautiful  pine  grove  on  the  land  through  which  the 
Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  Rail  Road  now  passes,  extending 
from  the  bridge  nearly  to  Howard  street,  and  smaller  groves 
were  scattered  at  intervals  between  the  Falls  and  the  junction. 

For  the  accommodation  of  the  people  at  the  factory,  a 
narrow  road  (now  Oneida  street)  had  been  cut  through 
from  the  state  dam  to  the  main  road,  with  which  it  con 
nected  near  Jacob  Van  Der  Werken's  house.  Besides  this 
and  the  main  highway  there  were  no  other  public  roads, 
except  the  one  which  is  now  Columbia  street.  This  had 
been  in  use  from  a  very  early  day.  The  farmers  from  the 
Boght,  instead  of  turning  into  the  main  road  near  the  Falls, 
often  chose  the  lower  road  in  preference,  and  came  down 
that  way  when  they  drove  to  Troy  and  Albany  with  their 
produce,  or  went  to  Heamstreet's  mill. 


56  HISTOKY  OF  COHOES.  1831. 

Such  was  Cohoes  in  1831.  A  description  of  life  in  the 
place  during  that  year,  from  some  of  those  who  were  pioneers 
in  its  settlement  and  improvement,  gives  one  a  striking 
sense  of  the  inconveniences  and  annoyances  they  must  have 
suffered.  Until  they  could  become  settled  in  business,  and 
make  arrangements  for  building  or  hiring  suitable  houses, 
their  accommodations  were  restricted  ;  there  were  no  facili 
ties  of  any  account  for  communication  with  the  outside 
world,  the  only  public  conveyance  to  neighboring  towns 
being  the  canal  boats,  which  often  consumed  two  hours  in 
making  the  trip  from  here  to  Troy,  though  the  people  were 
in  the  habit  of  saving  time  by  walking  to  the  junction  and 
taking  the  boat  at  that  point,  thus  avoiding  the  delay  of 
the  locks  ;  it  was  almost  impossible  to  obtain  the  common 
est  necessities  of  life  ;  groceries,  and  those  of  an  inferior  de 
scription,  could  only  be  procured  at  the  canal  stores,  at 
either  extremity  of  the  village,  and  fresh  meat  was  a  luxury 
only  to  be  found  occasionally  at  the  junction  ;  the  nearest 
post  office  was  at  Waterford. 

When,  in  addition  to  these  discomforts,  the  fact  is  taken 
into  account  that  the  business  prospects  of  the  inhabitants 
were  by  no  means  bright,  that  the  influx  of  capitalists  and 
new  population  which  had  been  expected  was  slow  in  coming, 
and  the  golden  dreams  which  had  been  cherished  in  regard  to 
the  growth  of  the  place  were  realized  in  but  a  slight  degree, 
we  can  understand  how  much  credit  is  due  to  the  energy 
and  perseverance  of  these  early  settlers  and  those  who 
followed  them  within  the  next  decade.  Notwithstanding 
the  obstacles  in  their  way,  the  new-comers  commenced  at 
once  their  efforts  for  the  improvement  of  the  place.  Messrs. 
Wilkinson  and  Howe  were  both  active  churchmen,  and  their 
first  step  was  to  procure  accommodations  for  holding  public 
worship.  On  May  2d,  the  day  after  Mr.  Howe's  arrival, 
St.  John's  Episcopal  church  was  organized,  and  having 
secured  the  assistance  of  Rev.  Orange  Clark  of  Waterford, 


1831.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  57 

services  were  held  the  next  Sunday  in  the  school  house  of 
District  No.  5,  on  Oneida  street. 

A  Sunday  school  was  at  the  same  time  organized  under 
direction  of  Miss  Wilkinson  and  Miss  Maria  Howe.  The 
church  services,  which  were  held  in  the  afternoon,  were  well 
attended  and  continued  regularly  during  the  year. 

The  first  church  officers  were  as  follows  :  Wardens  : 
David  Wilkinson,  Hugh  White.  Vestrymen  :  Hezekiah 
Howe,  Otis  Sprague,  Albert  S.  Wilkinson,  John  Van  Der 
Werken,  Matthias  Williams,  Samuel  H.  Baldwin,  Luther 
M.  Tracy. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  commenced  business  operations  at  once, 
and  his  machine  shop,  located  on  Mohawk  street  on  the  site 
of  the  present  Empire  Mill,  was  erected  and  in  full  opera 
tion  within  a  few  months  after  his  arrival.  The  power  was 
obtained  from  the  Erie  Canal  by  means  of  a  waste  gate, 
located  near  the  north  end  of  the  present  Harmony  Mills 
carpenter  shop,  from  which  the  water  was  conveyed  to  the 
machine  shop  by  a  small  ditch.  During  the  year  Mr. 
Wilkinson  was  occupied  chiefly  in  constructing  machinery 
for  cotton  manufacture,  some  of  which  was  shipped  to 
Seneca  Falls.  Another  establishment,  which  was  com 
pleted  in  the  fall,  was  a  saw  mill  belonging  to  Hugh  White, 
which  stood  at  the  Two  Locks  where  is  now  the  picker  room 
of  No.  1  mill.  It  was  built  by  Sylvester  Van  Der  Mark, 
who  had  in  his  employ,  as  an  apprentice,  Dennis  Flannigan. 
Mr.  Van  Der  Mark  and  Joshua  R.  Clarke  were  the  principal 
carpenters  here,  and  most  of  the  buildings  erected  for  a 
number  of  years  following  were  under  the  supervision  of 
one  or  the  other. ' 

About  the  same  time  Mr.  Howe  established  the  first  store 
of  any  importance  in  the  place.  It  was  located  in  a  build- 


1  This  mill  was  run  by  Mr.  White  alone  for  a  few  years,  and  afterwards  with  J. 
R.  Clarke  as  a  partner.  In  August,  1836,  it  was  sold  to  the  Harmony  Manufacturing 
Company,  which  was  then  being  organized. 

8 


58  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1832. 

ing  erected  for  the  purpose  at  the  middle  one  of  the  Three 
Locks,  near  the  present  Jute  mill,  at  the  place  where  Mr. 
Howe  landed  from  the  canal  boat  which  brought  him  to 
Cohoes.  The  business,  which  was  that  of  a  general  country 
store,  was  conducted  by  his  son. 

On  the  23d  of  February  1832,  the  first  postmaster, 
Frederick  Y.  Waterman,  was  appointed.  The  office  was 
located  at  the  junction,  and  as  it  was  not  much  more  con 
venient  of  access  than  the  one  at  Waterford,  many  people 
continued  to  have  their  mail  sent  to  the  latter  place  until 
Mr.  Howe  was  appointed  in  the  following  year,  when  the 
office  was  transferred  to  his  new  store  on  the  canal  bank. 
The  mail  was  carried  by  Wright  Mallery,  in  later  years  a  well- 
known  resident  of  this  city,  who  had  at  that  time  a  bakery 
in  West  Troy.  He  made  daily  trips  in  this  direction,  visit 
ing  the  groceries  along  the  line  of  the  canal,  and  brought 
the  Cohoes  mail  in  his  bread  cart  —  no  heavy  burden  —  for 
it  consisted  some  days  of  but  one  or  two  letters.  Mr.  Mallery 
moved  here  in  1834,  but  went  to  Troy  on  business  every 
day  and  continued  to  carry  the  mail  for  some  time. 

During  1832,  the  Cohoes  Company  was  actively  engaged. 
The  first  dam  was  carried  away  by  ice  on  January  10,  and 
was  immediately  rebuilt.  During  the  spring,  also,  the  first 
two  canals  of  the  company,  which  had  been  commenced  in 
the  previous  year,  were  completed  ;  the  contractors  for  the 
work  being  Oliver  C.  Hubbard  and  Captain  Andrews.  The 
principal  one,  Basin  A,  extended  from  a  point  in  the  rear 
of  the  present  Harmony  Mills  carpenter  shop,  on  Mohawk 
street,  to  a  short  distance  north  of  Factory  street.  The 
other,  Basin  JB,  was  of  less  importance,  serving  principally 
to  receive  the  water  from  Basin  A  and  convey  it  to  the 
river.  It  is  on  Remsen  street  and  forms  the  fourth  level  of 
the  Cohoes  Company's  present  system.  The  first  factory 
to  obtain  its  power  from  Basin  A  was  one  (now  occupied 
by  Holsapple's  bedstead  factory)  which  was  erected  in  the 


1832.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  59 

early  part  of  the  year  by  E.  L.  Miller,  a  wealthy  gentleman 
of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  who  intended  to  engage  in  cotton 
manufacture.  At  the  same  time  he  tore  down  the  old 
Heamstreet  barn,  on  the  corner  of  Factory  and  Mohawk 
streets,  and  commenced  building  a  commodious  residence, 
while  directly  opposite,  on  the  east  side  of  Mohawk  street, 
he  erected  a  small  wooden  building  afterward  occupied  as 
a  store  by  his  nephew,  Mr.  Whiting,  and  in  later  years  by 
the  post  office.  The  mill  and  residence  were  built  by  Joshua 
R.  Clarke,  and  the  masons  employed  were  Elihu  and  John 
Stevenson,  for  many  years  well  known  citizens,  who  had 
come  to  Cohoes  a  few  months  previous. 

The  buildings  were  hardly  completed,  however,  when 
Mr.  Miller  fell  into  ill  health,  and  changed  all  his  plans. 
He  became  dissatisfied  with  his  investments  here,  abandoned 
his  idea  of  engaging  in  business,  and  went  to  New  York, 
leaving  his  property  to  be  disposed  of  for  what  it  would 
bring.  His  house,  directly  after  its  completion,  was  con 
verted  into  a  hotel,  which  was  first  conducted  by  a  man 
named  Fuller,  who  came  here  from  Watertown,  and  it  has 
ever  since  been  used  for  that  purpose.  It  has  been  so  al 
tered  and  enlarged  from  time  to  time,  however,  that  the 
present  City  Hotel  bears  but  little  resemblance  to  the 
original  structure.  In  the  mill,  the  machinery,  which  had 
been  made  by  Mr.  Wilkinson,  was  set  up  and  ready  for  use, 
but  soon  after  Mr.  Miller's  removal,  it  was  sent  to  New 
Jersey  to  be  sold.  Another  factory  was  erected  during  this 
season,  by  two  gentlemen  from  New  York  for  the  purpose 
of  manufacturing  carpets.  It  was  situated  on  Mohawk 
street,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  Gregory  and  Killer's 
mill,  and  the  power  was  obtained  from  Basin  B. 

Soon  after  the  mill  was  completed  it  was  sold  to  Messrs. 
Roach  and  Jones,  of  West  Troy.1 


1  It  is  said  that  the  cause  of  this  sudden  abandonment  of  their  enterprise  by  the 
original  proprietors  was  the  Asiatic  cholera,  then  alarmingly  prevalent.    They  took 


60  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1832. 

One  of  the  most  memorable  buildings  of  the  year  was 
St.  John's  church,  erected  by  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  which  stood 
on  the  south  side  of  Oneida  street,  between  Remsen  and 
Mohawk  streets  ;  the  structure  was  of  wood,  thirty-eight  by 
forty-eight  feet  in  size.  The  interior  was  finished  in  the 
plainest  possible  manner,  and  upon  the  ladies  of  the 
parish  devolved  the  work  of  adorning  it  with  such  decora 
tions  as  their  limited  resources  would  allow.  The  church 
bell,  destined  to  remain  in  use  nearly  forty  years,  was  a  gift 
from  David  Wilkinson.  The  entire  cost  of  the  edifice  did 
not  exceed  $1,500,  of  which  $500  were  contributed  by  the 
Cohoes  Company,  who  also  gave  the  lot  upon  which  it  was 
erected,  the  latter  being  a  stipulation  made  by  Mr.  Wilkin 
son  before  he  consented  to  come  here.  Notwithstanding 
this  assistance,  it  was  by  no  means  easy  to  raise  the  necessary 
amount,  for  the  members  of  the  parish  were  few  in  number 
and  nearly  all  of  limited  means.  The  work  was  one,  how 
ever,  to  which  all  were  earnestly  devoted  and  in  its  accom 
plishment  they  were  assisted  by  the  cordial  efforts  of 
almost  every  one  in  the  place,  without  regard  to  theological 
differences.  The  zeal  of  those  who  had  labored  so  faith 
fully  in  its  behalf  met  with  deserved  success,  and  St.  John's 
church,  the  organization  of  which  had  been  one  of  the  first 
steps  towards  the  improvement  of  the  village,  became  per 
manently  established.  The  building  was  consecrated  on 
May  12th  of  the  following  year  by  Bishop  Onderdonk,  Rev. 
Mr.  Whipple  of  Lansingburg  assisting. 

Other  buildings  erected  during  this  year  were  Mr.  Wil 
kinson's  house  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Oneida  and 
Mohawk  streets,  the  most  imposing  residence  the  village 
had  yet  seen,  and  the  brick  building  west  of  the  church, 


it  for  granted  that  the  race  would  soon  become  extinct,  and  that  it  would  be  use 
less  to  make  any  business  arrangements. 

The  building  was  in  later  years  used  for  the  manufacture  of  white  lead  by  Mr. 
Underwood,  who  had  commenced  that  business  in  part  of  the  Wilkinson  machine 
shop. 


1832.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  61 

which  was  owned  by  Hugh  White.  The  bricks  used  in  the 
construction  of  the  latter  were  made  by  a  man  named 
Welch  and  are  said  to  have  been  the  first  made  in  the  place, 
aside  from  those  found  in  the  old  farm  houses. ' 

The  event  which  marks  this  year  as  one  of  particular  im 
portance  in  the  history  of  the  place  was  the  establishment 
by  Egberts  and  Bailey  of  the  first  factory  in  which  knitting 
machinery  was  successfully  run  by  power.'2  Mr.  Egberts, 
who  had  been  keeping  a  store  with  his  brother  in  Albany, 
became  interested  in  1831  in  the  process  of  making  knit 
goods,  and  gave  the  subject  considerable  attention.  After 
inspecting  the  clumsy  hand  machines  then  in  use,  the  idea 
was  suggested  that  improvements  might  be  made  by  which 
a  knitting  frame  could  be  made  to  run  by  power.  Mr.  Eg 
berts  himself  was  not  a  practical  mechanic,  and  could  do 
nothing  towards  perfecting  any  such  apparatus  ;  but  while 
he  was  talking  on  the  subject  with  Dr.  Williams,  his  family 
physician,  the  latter  suggested  that  Timothy  Bailey,  who 
was  then  in  the  employ  of  Alfred  Cooke,  a  cabinet  maker, 
was  a  young  man  of  remarkable  mechanical  ability,  who 
could  accomplish  almost  anything  he  turned  his  hand  to, 
and  would  doubtless  be  able  to  carry  out  the  idea  if  it  were 
possible.  Mr.  Bailey  was  accordingly  consulted,  and 
after  a  careful  examination  of  the  knitting  frame  then 


1  Bricks  were  afterwards  made  in  considerable  quantity  by  Mason  Sawyer. 
About  1842,  Patrick  Rogers,  who  has  for  some  years  had  a  monopoly  of  this  branch 
of  business  here,  commenced  operations.     His  brick  yard  was  located  on  the 
flats  south  of  Columbia  street,  afterwards  on  Mohawk  street  near  Columbia  and 
another  has  been  of  late  years  established  on  Harmony  Hill. 

2  "The  art  of  knitting  is  said  to  have  been  invented  in  Scotland,  but  the  first 
machine  for  making  knitted  fabrics  was  the  invention  of  Wm.  Lee  of  England  about 
two  centuries  ago.    This  machine  remained  in  nearly  the  same  condition  in  which 
Lee  left  it  for  almost  two  centuries  and  the  first  introduced  into  America  was  the 
old  heavy  hand  frame,  which  required  the  strength  of  a  pretty  strong  man  to  ope 
rate  it  with  advantage.    Immense  sums  of  money  had  been  expended  in  England 
to  adapt  the  knitting  frame  for  operation  by  steam  or  water  power,  like  the  carpet 
loom,  but  this  achievement  was  left  for  the  perseverance  and  skill  of  American  in 
ventors."—  Aiken'a  History  of  the  Art  of  Knitting. 


62  HISTORY  OF     OHOES.  1832. 

used,  concluded  that  he  would  undertake  the  task,  on  the 
understanding  that  Mr.  Egberts  was  to  provide  the  neces 
sary  funds.  The  first  thing  requisite  was  a  knitting  machine 
on  which  experiments  could  be  commenced,  and  as  this  could 
not  be  obtained  in  Albany,  Mr.  Bailey  went  to  Philadel 
phia,  arriving  there  April  1,  1831.  After  some  search  he 
succeeded  in  finding  a  disused  machine,  which  he  purchased 
for  $55,  and  returned,  prepared  to  commence  operations  at 
once.  Within  six  days  after  its  arrival  in  Albany  he  had 
the  apparatus  so  arranged  that  it  would  knit  by  turning  a 
crank  at  the  side,  and  preparations  were  accordingly  made 
for  perfecting  its  operation.  Mr.  Egberts  procured  an  upper 
story  in  a  store  near  the  foot  of  State  street,  to  which  Mr. 
Bailey  moved  his  tools  and  machinery,  and  there  continued 
his  labors.  In  time  he  succeeded  in  making  a  machine 
which  would  make  four  shirt  bodies,  and  knit  thirty  times 
back  and  across  per  minute,  by  the  simple  revolution  of  a 
crank,  and  steps  were  then  taken  to  put  the  invention  to 
practical  use.  In  the  meantime,  Joshua  Bailey,  an  elder 
brother  of  Timothy,  had  become  interested  in  the  machine, 
and  selling  out  his  farm,  came  to  Albany  to  take  part  in 
the  enterprise.  In  the  fall  of  1832,  the  partners  came  to 
Cohoes,  and  established  themselves  in  the  lower  story  of 
the  cotton  factory  which  was  then  being  finished,  the  wheel 
having  been  just  put  in  when  they  moved  into  the  building. 
Their  operations  at  first  were  of  course  on  a  very  small 
scale,  owing  to  their  lack  of  facilities.  Mr.  Bailey's  time 
was  given  almost  altogether  to  making  new  machinery,  in 
which  he  was  at  first  assisted  by  Edward  Gleason,  who  had 
been  in  his  employ  some  time  while  engaged  in  the  first 
frame  in  Albany.  Eight  machines  were  made  in  succession 
and  after  a  time  Mr.  Bailey  arranged  machinery  for  carding 
and  spinning,  the  first  goods  having  been  made  from  yarn 
bought  of  outside  parties.  Thus  was  laid  the  foundation  of 
that  branch  of  industry  which  has  since  become  a  distin- 


1833.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  63 

guishing  feature  of  Cohoes,  and  to  which  it  is  largely  in 
debted  for  its  present  importance. ' 

Egberts  and  Bailey  did  not  occupy  all  of  the  cotton 
factory  until  some  years  later,  and  in  the  meantime  several 
other  concerns  were  located  in  the  building.  One  of  the 
earliest  was  the  machine  shop  of  Russell  Phelps,  established 
soon  after  the  factory  was  completed.  S.  D.  Fairbank, 
afterwards  a  prominent  citizen,  came  to  Cohoes  with  Mr. 
Phelps,  and  engaged  in  business  with  him. 

Early  in  1833  John  Tillinghast  commenced  the  manufac 
ture  of  satinet  warps,  but  did  not  long  continue  ;  the  late 
Wm.  Leckie  of  this  city  was  in  his  employ.  In  the  fall  of 
the  year  the  first  building  of  importance  on  Remsen  street, 
the  first  one  north  of  the  present  Music  Hall,  was  erected 
by  John  Stevenson,  who  sold  it  soon  afterward  to  Mr. 
Mudge.  On  Mohawk  street  below  the  site  of  Root's  Mill 
the  first  oifice  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  a  small  brick  struc 
ture,  was  built.  During  this  year  the  company  commenced 
the  construction  of  the  upper  canal,  one  and  three-quarter 
miles  long,  with  a  fall  of  eighteen  feet,  by  which  the  water 
from  the  dam  was  brought  directly  into  use  in  the  lower 
levels.  The  work,  done  under  direction  of  Chas.  A.  Olmsted, 
Geo.  Strover  of  Schuylerville  being  contractor,  was  com 
pleted  in  the  following  year.  It  ran  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Erie  Canal  and  parallel  with  it,  to  a  point  a  few  hundred 
feet  above  the  Two  Locks,  near  School  street,  where  it  was 
taken  under  the  canal  by  means  of  two  wooden  trunks 
about  four  or  five  feet  in  diameter,  and  then  continued  in 
its  present  course,  terminating  near  the  middle  lock  of  the 
Three  Locks,  in  the  rear  of  the  present  Harmony  Mill  No. 
2.  The  water  was  then  let  into  the  upper  end  of  Basin  A, 
being  again  taken  under  the  Erie  Canal  by  means  of  wooden 

1  The  Bailey  Brothers  secured  lodgings  for  a  time  in  the  village,  and  afterwards 
occupied  different  parts  of  the  wooden  block  which  was  erected  by  the  flrm  about 
1835,  on  the  corner  of  White  and  Remsen  streets.  Mr.  Egberts  was  in  the  habit  of 
driving  up  from  Albany  every  day,  and  for  some  years  boarded  at  the  Cohoes  Hotel. 


64  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1834. 

trunks.  At  this  point,  on  the  site  of  the  Harmony  Mills 
carpenter  shop,  was  located  the  Cohoes  Iron  Foundry,  con 
ducted  by  John  L.  Wilkinson  and  Nathaniel  Wheeler, 
which  for  many  years  did  a  large  business. ' 

A  factory  for  the  manufacture  of  axes  and  edge  tools, 
established  during  this  and  the  following  year  by  Daniel 
Simmons,  was  the  foundation  of  a  branch  of  business  which 
has  since  become  one  of  the  most  important  in  Cohoes. 
Mr.  Simmons  began  life  as  a  blacksmith  and  had  a  forge  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  city  of  Albany.  Here  he  commenced 
making  axes  by  hand  for  an  occasional  customer,  using  for 
the  cutting  edges  German  or  blister  steel,  which  was  then 
supposed  to  be  the  only  kind  that  could  be  successfully 
welded  to  iron.  About  1825  it  was  found  that  by  the  use 
of  refined  borax  as  a  flux,  cast  steel  could  be  made  to  an 
swer  the  purpose,  and  Mr.  Simmons  promptly  took  advan 
tage  of  the  discovery,  being  one  of  the  first  to  put  it  to 
practical  use.  His  axes  soon  became  favorably  known,  and 
the  demand  for  them  was  so  increased  that  greater  facilities 
for  production  became  necessary.  Accordingly  in  1826,  he 
removed  to  Berne,  Albany  County,  where  he  secured  a 
small  water  power,  erected  rude  buildings,  and  put  up  trip 
hammers  and  other  machinery.  In  time  these  accommoda 
tions  proved  insufficient,  and  Mr.  Simmons  came  to  Cohoes, 
where  he  founded  the  establishment,  one  of  the  earliest  in 
the  country,  which,  under  years  of  successful  management, 
has  made  the  Simmons  Axe  familiar  in  all  parts  of  the 
globe.  His  partner  for  two  years  was  Levi  Silliman.-  The 

1  Though  Mr.David  Wilkinson  was  interested  in  the  establishment  of  this  foundery 
and  of  the  machine  shop,  the  business  of  both  was  conducted  by  his  son.    Mr. 
Wheeler's  connection  with  the  foundery  ceased  in  1844.    Its  subsequent  proprietors 
were  Chas.  A.  Olmsted,  the  Cohoes  Company  and  Fuller  &  Safely  (1858),  by  whom 
it  was  destroyed  in  1867. 

2  In  1848,  Mr.  Simmons  associated  with  him,  under  the  firm  name  of  D.  Simmons 
&  Co.,   Messrs.  Win.  H.  Weed  of  New  York  and  Storm  A.  Becker  of  Cohoes. 
Hiram  St.  John,  of  New  York,  was  subsequently  admitted,  to  the  partnership. 
After  Mr.  Simmons's  death  in  Dec.  1860,  the  firm  of  Weed,  Becker  &  Co.,  was  formed, 
which  gave  place  to  the  present  company  in  Feb.  1874. 


1836.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  65 

first  building  (destroyed  by  fire  in  1875),  and  the  office  of 
the  present  company  which  was  built  a  few  years  later,  were 
erected  on  the  foundations  of  the  establishments  of  the 
Cohoes  Manufacturing  Company. 

Another  business  enterprise  was  the  establishment  of  the 
veneering  and  sawing  mill  of  Hawes  and  Baker  which  was 
built  near  the  junction  of  Remsen  and  Mohawk  streets  on 
the  site  at  present  occupied  by  the  Star  Knitting  Company. 
The  concern  had  been  started  in  the  preceding  year,  in  an 
upper  story  of  Mr.  Wilkinson's  machine  shop,  by  Hawes  and 
Goodwin,  the  latter  of  whom  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the 
business  of  sawing  veneers.  His  interest  was  bought  by 
John  Baker. 

Among  the  private  residences  erected  during  the  year 
was  that  of  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  on  the  corner  of  Mohawk 
street  and  Cataract  alley,  now  occupied  by  H.  S.  Bogue. 

During  the  next  few  years  but  little  progress  seems  to 
have  been  made.  The  increase  of  population  was  slight, 
and  there  were  but  few  additions  to  the  business  of  the 
place,  as  appears  from  the  following  account  of  the  village 
and  its  manufactures  published  in  1836  : 

"  The  property  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  of  which  the  vil 
lage  is  part,  at  the  mouths  of  the  Mohawk,  includes  the 
Falls  and  the  banks  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  extends 
within  a  few  rods  of  the  junction  of  the  Erie  and  Champlain 
Canals.  The  property  around  the  Falls  has,  from  the  first 
settlement  of  the  country,  been  in  the  Van  Rensselaer  family 
who,  with  a  just  regard  to  its  future  value,  had  refused  to 
part  with  it.  The  great  hydraulic  power  here  was  first  de 
veloped  by  Mr.  Canvass  White,  during  the  progress  of  the 
Erie  Canal  ;  at  whose  instance  it  was  arranged  with  Peter 
Remsen  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  and  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  to 
commence  its  improvement  on  a  large  scale  ;  a  liberal 
charter  was  obtained  from  the  state  in  1826,  authorizing 
the  investment  of  $250,000  and  subsequently  of  half  a  mil 
lion.  By  an  independent  canal,  nearly  two  miles  long,  sup 
plied  with  water  by  a  dam  in  the  river,  half  a  mile  above 
the  Falls  where  the  stream  is  three  hundred  yards  wide,  un- 
9 


66  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1836. 

connected  with  the  state  works,  the  company  are  enabled 
to  avail  themselves  of  the  whole  water  of  the  river,  yielding 
power  for  mills  as  durable  and  constant  as  the  rocks  and 
the  stream.  The  entire  head  and  fall  thus  gained  is  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet,  permitting  the  use  of  the  water 
under  six  successive  falls  of  from  eighteen  to  twenty-three 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  state  dam,  below  which  it  may 
be  used  under  a  head  of  eleven  feet,  and  maybe  carried  on 
these  levels  to  almost  any  point  on  the  company's  estate. 
The  minimum  supply  of  water  is  one  thousand  cubic  feet, 
the  second,  competent  to  drive  from  three  to  four  millions 
of  cotton  spindles.  The  upper  canal,  excavated  for  a  great 
part  of  its  course  in  the  slate  rock,  passes  from  the  dam  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  thence  by  a  tunnel  under 
that  canal  to  the  west  side.  The  advantages  of  this  position 
for  manufactures  are  unquestionably  the  greatest  in  the 
state.  By  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  North  River  it  communi 
cates  directly  with  the  great  marts  on  the  Hudson  and  with 
the  ocean,  by  that  canal  with  the  interior  of  the  state  and 
the  lakes  and  the  Great  West;  and  by  the  Champlain 
Canal  with  the  northern  portion  of  the  state  and  the  basin 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  ;  obtaining  readily  from  the  south  all 
that  may  be  required  from  abroad,  and  from  the  west  and 
north  a  never-failing  supply  of  provisions,  lumber  and  iron, 
upon  the  cheapest  terms The  village  now  con 
tains  one  factory  for  cotton  and  woolen  machinery,  one  for 
edge  tools,  one  for  cotton,  linen  and  woolen  hosiery  made 
on  newly  invented  looms,  a  mill  driving  turning  lathes,  an 
iron  foundry,  a  carpet  factory,  an  Episcopal  church,  two 
hotels,  three  stores,  many  shops  of  various  kinds  on  the 
canals,  and  sixty  dwellings,  whose  number  is  rapidly  in 
creasing." —  Gordon's  Gazetteer  of  New  York. 


1837.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  67 


V. 

1837TO  1847. 

two  comparatively  uneventful  years,  an  impor 
tant  addition  which  was  made  to  its  business  interests  gave 
an  impetus  to  the  activity  of  the  place.  In  1837,  the  Har 
mony  Manufacturing  Company,  composed  of  New  York 
capitalists,  commenced  the  erection  of  a  large  cotton  factory 
on  Harmony  Hill,  the  germ  of  the  immense  establishment 
which  is  now  foremost  among  the  manufacturing  concerns 
of  Cohoes.  The  company  had  been  incorporated  under 
the  general  act,  in  the  previous  year,  by  the  following 
stockholders  :  Peter  Harmony,  Henry  Punnett,  Peter  Rem- 
sen,  Francis  Olmsted,  H.  J.  Wyckoff,  P.  H.  Schenck  & 
Co.,  James  Stevenson,  Joseph  D.  Constant,  William  Sin 
clair,  Van  Wyck  Wickes,  Eliphalet  Wickes,  LeBron  & 
Ives,  Teunis  Van  Yechten,  Joab  Houghton,  Charles  O. 
Handy,  Francis  Griffin,  Jacob  H.  Ten  Eyck,  Illis  Winne, 
Jr.,  Hugh  White,  Henry  Dudley,  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer, 
Jr.,  and  Benjamin  Knower.  The  capital  was  $100,000  which 
was  increased  in  1839,  to  $150,000.  The  building  (which 
is  now  standing  immediately  south  of  No.  1  mill,  of  which 
it  forms  a  part  according  to  the  present  arrangement  of  the 
company),  was  erected  by  Joshua  R.  Clarke  and  was  com 
pleted  in  the  following  year.  A  report  made  in  August 
of  that  year  by  Peter  Schenck  and  Hugh  White,  the 
building  committee,  described  it  as  follows  : 

"  It  appears  by  accurate  accounts  kept  of  expenditures 
that  the  cotton  mill  which  is  of  very  stout  brick  walls  and 
slated  roofs,  four  stories  in  height,  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  feet  long  and  fifty  feet  wide,  with  wheel  houses  at  each 
end  of  the  building  of  two  stories,  about  thirty-nine  and 
twenty-five  feet  each,  with  the  flumes,  water  wheels,  driving 
pullies,  etc.,  etc.,  has  cost  the  sum  of  about  $60,000  Aug.  1, 


68  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1837. 

1838.  That  the  sum  of  $12,000  or  thereabouts,  will  be  re 
quired  to  finish  the  Cotton  House,  put  up  steam  boiler  and 
pipes  for  heating,  two  forcing  pumps,  hose,  etc.,  and  com 
plete  the  tail  race,  with  other  small  items  that  appertain  to 
factory  (not  machinery)." 

At  the  same  time  the  company  erected  beyond  the  canal 
three  brick  tenements  for  the  use  of  their  operatives,  con 
taining  each  two  stories  and  a  basement,  at  the  average 
cost  of  $3,000,  and  arranged  for  completing  another  in  the 
following  year. 

In  the  same  report  it  was  stated  that  the  saw  mill,  which 
had  cost  $6,000,  had  been  kept  in  constant  employ  and  at  a 
profit  on  the  investment  though  it  would  require  $4,000  to 
purchase  timber  to  make  it  a  profitable  concern.  The  man 
agers  had  at  this  time  three  thousand  spindles  in  the  mill 
and  were  on  the  point  of  commencing  operations.  They 
had  contracted  with  the  Matteawan  Company  for  the  pur 
chase  of  six  thousand  spindles,  but  the  cost  of  the  building 
was  so  much  more  than  had  been  anticipated,  that  the  com 
pany  were  prevailed  upon  to  alter  the  contract,  and  furnished 
only  five  thousand,  all  of  which  were  in  operation  in  the 
following  spring. 

In  this  year  were  made  the  first  preparations  for  the  en 
largement  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and  the  changing  of  its  course 
through  the  village. 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  Cohoes  Company  to  continue 
their  first  canal,  running  it  further  west,  around  the  base 
of  Prospect  Hill  in  about  the  direction  now  taken  by  the 
Erie  Canal,  but  the  appropriation  by  the  state  of  this  land 
as  the  site  for  its  improvements,  made  this  impossible.  The 
company  of  course  sought  compensation  at  once,  and  an 
arrangement  for  exchange  was  made,  as  set  forth  in  the 
following  act  of  the  legislature,  passed  May  16,  1837. 

"  The  canal  board  are  authorized  in  this  discretion  to 
grant  and  convey  to  the  Cohoes  Company  so  much  of  the 
present  Erie  Canal  (except  the  stone  of  which  the  locks  and 
bridge  abutments  are  constructed)  as  may  be  abandoned 


1838.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  69 

after  the  completion  of  the  enlarged  Erie  Canal  in  satisfac 
tion  of  the  damages  sustained  by  the  said  company  by 
reason  of  the  enlargement  and  alteration  of  the  line  of  the 
present  Erie  Canal.  Such  grant  shall  be  made  upon  such 
conditions  and  under  such  restrictions  and  reservations  as 
the  said  board  may  deem  proper." 

The  establishment  of  a  large  factory,  and  the  commence 
ment  of  work  on  the  canal  improvement  brought  here  a 
number  of  new  inhabitants,  adding  largely  of  course,  to  the 
business  activity  of  the  place,  and  making  necessary  a 
number  of  local  improvements. 

A  change  in  the  proprietorship  of  the  Cohoes  Hotel,  during 
1838,  established,  on  a  sound  basis,  an  institution  which  for 
many  years  after  played  a  prominent  part  in  the  history  of 
the  village.  The  first  proprietor  had  been  succeeded  in  a 
short  time  by  Willard  Jenks  (known  by  the  nick-name  of 
Quid),  who  was  followed  by  Messrs.  Alby  and  Lyons. 
This  firm  had  no  better  success  than  its  predecessors,  and  was 
sold  out  by  the  sheriff.  Up  to  this  time,  it  is  said,  no  rent 
had  been  paid  for  the  building,  the  owners  of  which  were 
so  well  satisfied  in  having  it  occupied  as  a  hotel,  that  they 
asked  no  further  remuneration  —  an  instance  of  remarkable 
public  spirit.  After  the  failure  of  Alby  and  Lyons  the 
property  came  into  possession  of  Henry  D.  Fuller,  who 
moved  here  from  Waterford,  and  was  afterwards  joined  by 
his  brother,  Edward  W.  Fuller.1  Under  the  new  manage 
ment  the  hotel  was  greatly  improved,  and  became  one  of 
the  most  important  local  institutions.  For  a  number  of 
years  all  the  public  entertainments  and  exhibitions  were 
held  in  its  dining  room  ;  the  elections  took  place  there  at 
various  times,  and  it  was  the  scene  of  all  the  public  meet 
ings  for  different  purposes  which  were  held  until  some  time 
after  the  incorporation  of  the  village.  If  an  improvement 


1  The  subsequent  proprietors  have  been  Jacob  Anthony,  1843-18—,  Robert 
Williams,  1848,  A.  C.  Bentley,  1S48-5U,  Wm.  Schoutcn,  1850-51,  J.  R.  Wilkins, 
ia51-57,  A.  Van  Der  Mark,  1857-60.  O?cnr  O  Finney,  1860-65,  Hulet  Lake.  1865-70, 
City  Hotel,  Geo.  Z.  Dockstader,  1871-76,  M.  L.  Crocker. 


70  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1838. 

was  to  be  suggested,  or  a  remonstrance  to  be  made,  or 
money  to  be  raised,  or  any  matter  of  importance  to  the 
public  in  general  to  be  considered,  "A  meeting  of  our 
citizens,  to  be  held  at  the  Cohoes  Hotel,"  was  invariably 
called,  as  the  first  proceeding. ' 

Among  the  improvements  of  the  proprietors  was  the 
establishment  of  a  regular  mail  stage,  running  between 
Waterford  and  Albany  and  making  one  round  trip  daily. 
The  first  public  conveyance  had  been  started  about  three 
years  before  by  John  Brown  (a  brother  of  Thos.  V.  Brown, 
now  residing  in  this  city)  ;  it  was  a  vehicle  of  the  simplest 
kind,  and  far  from  comfortable,  being  merely  an  ordinary 
box  wagon,  with  an  oil  cloth  top.  Mr.  Brown  sold  out  to 
the  Messrs.  Fuller,  who  put  on  the  road  a  new  coach,  of  the 
kind  we  now  call  old-fashioned  stage  coach,  but  then  re 
garded  as  a  model  of  elegance  and  comfort. 

There  were  few  changes  of  importance  during  this  year 
in  the  business  interests  of  the  place.  Messrs.  Hawes  & 
Baker  sold  out  their  veneering  and  sawing  mill  to  Levi 
Silliman,  the  former  partner  of  Daniel  Simmons,  and  com 
menced  the  manufacture  of  stoves,  which  they  continued 
for  some  years,  the  only  Cohoes  firm,  it  is  said,  ever  engaged 
in  that  business.  Their  castings  were  at  first  made  in  the 
Cohoes  foundery,  and  afterwards  in  West  Troy  and  Green 
Island. 

Among  the  private  residences  built  were  those  of  Heze- 
kiah  Howe  and  Wm.  J.  McAlpine,  both  under  direction  of 


1  For  many  years  the  only  places  in  town  at  which  liquor  was  sold  (except  the 
canal  groceries)  were  the  hotel  and  Van  Der  Werken's  grocery  on  the  corner  of 
Oneida  and  Mohawk  streets.  The  latter  establishment  was  a  well  known  resort 
in  the  earlier  days  of  Cohoes.  It  was  originally  kept  by  Jacob  Van  Der  Werken, 
and  afterward  by  his  son,  John  B.,  known  to  the  citizens  respectively  as  Yaupy, 
and  John  Yaupy,  both  of  whom  were  prominent  in  local  affairs .  The  property  on 
this  corner  came  into  the  possession  of  Jacob  Van  Der  Werken  about  sixty  years 
ago  and  remained  in  possession  of  his  family  until  quite  recently,  part  having  been 
bought  by  John  Larkins  in  1864,  and  a  lot.  in  the  rear  of  the  old  grocery  by  Wm. 
Triebel,  in  1865. 


1839.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  71 

Joshua  R.  Clarke.  The  former,  on  the  south-west  corner 
of  Seneca  and  Mohawk  streets,  now  occupied  by  Dr.  Moore, 
has  since  been  considerably  altered  ;  the  house  of  Mr. 
Me  Alpine  (who  was  engineer  of  this  division  of  the  canal), 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  is  now  occupied  by  W. 
N.  Chadwick,  and  is  one  of  the  best  preserved  of  the  older 
residences  of  Cohoes.  The  valuation  of  land  in  the  village, 
at  this  time,  as  appears  from  a  memorandum  in  the  patroon's 
office,  was  $1,000  per  acre. 

An  important  evidence  of  the  growth  of  the  village  was 
the  establishment  of  new  churches.  The  Reformed  Dutch 
church  had  been  organized  in  November  of  the  previous 
year,  with  the  following  members,  of  whom  only  the  last 
two  are  now  living  :  Nicolas  Lighthall,  Rosetta  Lighthall, 
James  Safely,  Janet  Safely,  John  Schoonmaker,  Gitty 
Schoonmaker,  Abram  Weidman,  Elizabeth  Weidman,  John 
Van  Der  Werken,  Daniel  Simmons,  William  Renwick, 
Isabella  Renwick. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  first  church,  which  stood  on  the 
same  site  as  the  one  now  in  use,  was  laid  on  Sept.  4,  1838, 
by  Hon.  Tunis  Van  Vechten,  mayor  of  Albany.  A  hymn 
was  sung,  composed  for  the  occasion  by  Rev.  Wm.  Lock- 
head,  first  pastor  of  the  church,  and  prayers  were  offered  by 
Rev.  Drs.  Yates  of  Schenectady  and  Yermilyea,  then  of  the 
North  Dutch  church,  Albany. 

In  1839  the  Methodist  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  E. 
Crawford,  under  direction  of  Rev.  Chas.  Sherman.  The 
original  members  were  twenty  in  number,  among  them  being 
Jas.  Hemstreet  and  wife,  Joseph  Mudge  and  wife,  Mrs. 
Timothy  Bailey,  James  Shannon,  Jonas  Simmons,  Sr.,  and 
wife,  Baltheus  Simmons,  Mrs.  Fuller,  Joseph  Gould,  Sr., 
and  wife,  Wm.  Dodge  and  wife,  Silas  Owen,  Sr.,  Gideon 
Longley  and  Mr.  Rhodes.  The  first  services  were  held  in 
the  school  house  on  Oneida  street,  in  which  the  Episcopal 
church  had  been  organized. 


72  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1839. 

In  May  of  the  same  year,  the  first  Baptist  church  was 
organized,  and  the  Rev.  John  Duncan  ordained  as  pastor, 
the  sermon  of  ordination  being  preached  by  Rev.  I.  West- 
cott,  of  Stillwater.  These  services  were  held  in  Harmony 
Mill,  No.  1,  and  the  church  as  then  constituted  consisted 
of  twenty-four  members,  of  whom  Thomas  Lansing  is  the 
sole  survivor.  Among  them  were  Josiah  H.  Beach  and 
wife,  Alanson  Cook  and  wife,  Ebenezer  Bartlett,  wife  and 
four  children,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Castleton,  Peter  Link,  Rebecca 
Steenberg  and  Mrs.  Duncan.  The  first  deacons  were 
Ebenezer  Bartlett  and  Alanson  Cook.  For  nearly  a  year 
the  meetings  were  held  in  a  boarding  house,  on  the  West 
Harmony,  and  afterwards  in  a  building  on  Mohawk  street, 
below  Oneida,  recently  occupied  by  Peter  Smith. 

On  the  10th  of  August  the  Presbyterian  church  was 
established  under  direction  of  Rev.  Mr.  Chamberlin,  with 
the  following  members  :  Levi  Silliman,  Mrs.  Clarissa  Silli- 
man,  Timothy  Bailey,  Joshua  Bailey,  Joshua  Bailey,  Jr., 
Mrs.  Almira  Bailey,  Augustus  J.  Goif,  Asahel  Goff,  Mrs. 
Lucy  Goff,  Mrs.  Melinda  Goodsell,  Maltby  Howell,  Mrs. 
Mary  Howell,  Mrs.  Eliza  Ann  Tremain  and  Miss  Fanny  A. 
Hamilton.  Of  these,  only  one,  Mrs.  Clarissa  Silliman, 
is  now  living  in  Cohoes,  and  only  three  are  living  elsewhere. 
Levi  Silliman  and  Timothy  Bailey  were  chosen  to  be  the 
first  elders  of  the  church,  and  Maltby  Howell  was  chosen 
as  deacon.  The  church  was  organized  in  the  house  of  Levi 
Silliman,  in  the  northern  half  of  the  house  now  occupied  by 
H.  B.  Silliman,  on  Saratoga  street.  That  part  of  the  house 
was  not  then  finished  as  a  dwelling,  and  could  easily  ac 
commodate  the  infant  church.  The  society  then  worshiped 
for  a  time  in  the  building  erected  for  a  carpet  factory  which 
stood  on  the  site  of  Gregory  &  Killer's  mill.  The  first 
church,  a  small  wooden  structure,  was  erected  in  the  fol 
lowing  year,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Remsen  and 
Factory  streets.  The  building,  which  has  since  been  used 


1840.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  73 

for  a  variety  of  purposes,  is  still  standing,  one  door  east  of 
the  corner,  and  is  now  used  as  a  second-hand  store. 

In  1840,  also,  the  Baptist  church,  was  built  on  Remsen 
street  opposite  the  Presbyterian  church,  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  J.  H.  Parsons  &  Co.'s  mill.  The  building^ 
the  cost  of  which  was  $521,  was  afterwards  moved  to 
Canvass  street  opposite  the  Catholic  church,  and  is  now 
used  as  a  dwelling. 

In  January  1839  the  Cohoes  Company's  dam  had  been 
severely  damaged  by  a  freshet,  which  washed  away  about 
three  hundred  feet  of  the  structure.  The  work  of  rebuild 
ing  it  was  completed  during  this  year  at  a  cost  of  $40,000, 
Oliver  C.  Hubbard  being  one  of  the  contractors.  The  new 
dam  was  of  timber,  filled  in  with  stone  and  concrete  masonry, 
1500  feet  long  and  nine  feet  high. 

The  commercial  depression  from  which  the  whole  country 
suffered  about  this  time  was  severely  felt  in  Cohoes  and 
between  1840  and  1842  the  place  made  slight  progress. 
Business  of  every  kind  was  very  dull,  and  many  of  the  man 
ufacturing  establishments  suspended  operations.  During 
this  period  the  enlarged  Erie  Canal  and  the  Troy  and 
Schenectady  Rail  Road  were  in  process  of  construction,  and 
these  alone  kept  the  village  from  utter  stagnation.  The 
presence  of  numbers  of  men  who  were  engaged  upon  them 
gave  the  neighborhood  at  times  some  little  air  of  activity, 
and  made  brisk  a  few  branches  of  business. 

By  this  time  quite  a  number  of  buildings  had  been  erected 
on  Remsen  street  ;  most  of  them  were  dwellings,  however, 
and  there  was  yet  no  indication  that  it  would  ever  become 
a  favorite  location  for  business,  the  universal  supposition 
being  that  as  the  village  increased,  Mohawk  street,  to  which 
business  was  then  confined,  would  continue  to  be  the  prin 
cipal  thoroughfare. 

In  1841  the  first  Methodist  church,  which  stood  on  the 
west  side  of  the  street  near  the  site  of  the  present  Clifton 
mill,  was  completed  and  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Peck. 
10 


74  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1842. 

The  building  was  of  wood,  cost  $550,  and  had  a  seating 
capacity  of  two  hundred.  The  principal  buildings  on  the 
street  at  this  time,  aside  from,  the  three  churches,  and  the  fac 
tories  which  were  near  its  intersection  with  Mohawk  street, 
may  be  briefly  mentioned.  Between  Factory  and  Oneida 
streets  was  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Mudge,  before  mentioned  ; 
between  Seneca  and  Ontario  streets,  on  the  west  side,  that 
of  Thos.  Hitchens,  1  a  contractor  on  the  enlarged  canal  ;  on 
the  site  of  Adams's  block  was  a  row  of  tenements  which  had 
been  erected  a  few  years  before  by  Oliver  C.  Hubbard  ;  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Remsen  and  White  streets  was  the 
block  of  tenements  owned  by  Egberts  &  Bailey  ;  on  the 
southeast  corner  the  residence  of  Jno.  P.  Steenberg,  and  on 
the  southwest  corner  that  of  Jacob  I.  Lansing,  south  of  which 
was  a  small  house  owned  by  Samuel  Cook  ;  between  White 
and  Howard  streets,  on  the  east  side  were  the  residences  of 
John  Judge  (now  Mrs.  FitzPatrick's)  Henry  Rockfellow,  Mrs. 
Doyle  and  Jas.  Shannon,  and  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Howard  and  Remsen  streets  was  that  of  Chas.  O'Brien* 
Below  Howard  street,  in  the  region  long  known  as  Cork 
Hill,  the  buildings  were  unimportant,  most  of  them  being 
shanties  built  and  occupied  by  the  laborers  on  the  canal. 
On  the  corner  of  Remsen  and  Columbia  streets,  however, 
was  a  building  of  some  size,  owned  by  Patrick  Judge. 

The  Troy  and  Schenectady  Rail  Road,  built  by  the  city 
of  Troy,  was  completed  in  1842.  It  was  the  first  rail  road 
which  at  all  affected  the  interests  of  Cohoes  people,  though 
not  the  first  in  the  vicinity,  for  the  one  from  Saratoga  to 
Troy,  passing  over  Adams's  Island,  had  been  constructed 
in  1835.  Judging  from  the  opposition  which  was  after 
wards  manifested  when  a  second  road  (the  Albany  and 
Cohoes )  was  proposed,  we  may  conclude  that  this  enter 
prise  met  with  little  approval,  especially  from  those  older 


1  The  building  is  now  owned  by  Jno.  Orelup.    It  was  enlarged  and  converted 
into  a  store  in  1870. 


1843.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  75 

inhabitants  whose  land  was  called  into  requisition.  At 
all  events  there  is  no  record  that  the  completion  of  the  road 
was  hailed  with  particular  satisfaction,  or  celebrated  by 
any  unusual  demonstration  on  the  part  of  the  citizens  gene 
rally,  though  they  at  once  proceeded  to  avail  themselves 
of  its  advantages. 

During  this  year  the  manufacture  of  bedsteads,  which 
has  since  always  been  an  important  branch  of  Cohoes  in 
dustry,  was  commenced  by  Orson  Parkhurst.1  His  factory 
was  located  in  a  small  building  which  had  been  used  by 
Egberts  and  Bailey  as  a  dye  house,  and  was  situated  be 
tween  their  mill  and  that  of  Hawes  and  Baker.  The  power 
was  obtained  from  a  waste  weir.  All  the  work  of  the  es 
tablishment  was  done  by  two  men,  and  the  quarters  were 
so  restricted  that  there  was  no  room  for  the  planing  machine, 
which  Mr.  Parkhurst  was  compelled  to  place  in  the  Wil 
kinson  machine  shop. 

Another  new  enterprise  was  a  flouring  mill  established 
by  Messrs.  Slocum  &  Granger  in  the  carpet  factory  building, 
which  they  enlarged  and  remodelled  for  the  purpose.2 

The  winter  of  1842-43  was  one  of  great  severity.  An 
unusual  depth  of  snow  covered  the  ground  for  many  months 
and  remarkably  cold  weather  continued  until  the  spring 
was  well  advanced  —  the  date  at  which  the  Hudson  River 
was  opened,  April  13,  being  the  latest  on  record.  An  ac 
curate  account  of  the  weather  in  Cohoes  was  kept  by  Post 
master  Howe,  from  which,  as  containing  several  interesting 
local  allusions,  extracts  are  given  below  : 

"  March  l^ith.  Snow  fell  this  day  about  ten  inches  and  is 
two  feet  six  inches  deep  on  the  level  at  least  in  the  vicinity 
of  Cohoes.  The  mercury  has  several  times  during  this 
month  thus  far  fallen  down  to  zero. 

"  ISth.  Road  impassible  for  sleighs  from  Cohoes  to  Troy 


1  The  firm  afterwards  became  O .  &  D.  Parkhurst,  and  later,  Parkhursts  &  Fullers. 

2  The  building  burned  a  few  years  later  and  the  lot  remained  vacant  until  the 
building  of  Smith,  Gregory  &  Co.'s  mill. 


76  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1843. 

on  account  of  snow  drifts.  The  mail  was  brought  from  Troy 
on  horseback  in  the  forenoon  of  this  day  —  was  forwarded  in 
sleigh  in  the  afternoon  to  Albany.  Snow  three  feet  deep 
on  the  level. 

"  23d.  Snow  continued  falling  all  day,  high  winds  and 
cold.  Roads  impassible  in  many  places.  The  mail  stage 
worked  its  way  down  to  West  Troy  and  Albany  in  the 
afternoon.  On  the  return  left  stage  at  West  Troy  and  the 
driver  and  passengers  returned  thence  on  horseback. 

"  24^.  Col.  F.  Lansing  and  others  from  his  neighborhood 
made  out  to  reach  Cohoes  this  day  by  shovelling  their  way. 
Snow  on  the  level  between  three  and  four  feet  deep,  and 
continued  cold  as  in  February. 

"  April  4th.  Many  of  the  roads  near  Cohoes  yet  impassible. 

\lth.  Snow  is  nearly  melted  away  in  Mohawk  street. 
Town  meeting  this  day  at  Yearsley's.  Some  went  with 
sleighs,  some  with  wagons  and  many  on  foot.  The  road 
is  blocked  with  snow  for  two  and  three  and  some  places 
four  feet  deep. 

"  I4:th.  This  is  the  most  extraordinary  season  on  record; 
the  long  continuance  of  winter  weather  (from  the  middle  of 
November  to  the  middle  of  April)  and  the  depths  of  snow 
still  lying  not  only  in  the  country  but  in  our  streets,  are 
unprecedented." 

The  enlarged  Erie  Canal,  which  under  the  direction  of 
different  contractors  had  occupied  five  years  in  construction, 
was  finally  completed  in  1843,  and  it  then  became  possible 
to  increase  the  manufacturing  facilities  of  the  place.  Deeds 
were  duly  executed,  conveying  the  Cohoes  Company's  land 
to  the  state  and  the  abandoned  canal  to  the  company,  and 
the  latter  at  once  commenced  operations.  That  part  of  the 
canal  which  ran  east  of  the  Harmony  Mill,  between  the 
Two  Locks  and  the  Three  Locks,  became  the  second 
level,  in  the  system  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  and  may  now 
be  described  as  extending  from  just  below  the  pump-house 
to  the  jute  mill.  The  level  of  the  Erie  Canal  between  the 
Three  Locks  and  the  One  Lock  (White  street)  became 
the  third  of  the  present  system,  having  been  united  with 
the  old  Basin  A,  at  a  point  near  Factory  street,  and 
the  level  now  extends  from  above  the  Strong  Mill  to  the 


1843.  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  77 

rear  of  the  Clifton  Mill.  The  remainder  of  the  canal  bed, 
from  the  latter  point  to  the  junction,  became  by  degrees 
filled  up,  and  some  years  later  became  a  highway  under  the 
name  of  Canal  street. 

An  important  addition  this  year  to  the  business  of  the 
place  was  a  second  axe  and  edge  tool  factory,  established 
in  February  by  Messrs.  White,  Olmstead  &  Co.  The 
firm  erected  a  small  building  at  the  head  of  Remsen  street, 
on  the  site  of  Griffins'  sash  factory,  and  also  rented  a 
portion  of  the  Wilkinson  machine  shop.  At  first  but  six 
or  eight  men  were  employed,  but  the  business  increased 
rapidly,  and  in  later  years  the  concern  was  one  of  the 
foremost  in  the  place.  The  senior  partner,  Miles  White, 
had  been  for  some  time  in  the  employ  of  Daniel  Simmons 
as  traveling  agent,  and  besides  a  knowledge  of  the  business 
had  gained  an  extensive  acquaintance  among  dealers. 

One  of  the  first  firms  to  take  advantage  of  the  improve 
ments  of  the  Cohoes  Company  was  Egberts  &  Bailey, 
who  commenced  the  erection  of  the  mill  on  Ontario  street 
(since  greatly  enlarged)  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Troy 
Manufacturing  Company.  For  the  first  eight  or  nine  years 
the  operations  of  this  firm  had  been  limited  ;  the  machinery 
was  not  entirely  perfected,  and  it  was  some  time  before 
sufficient  could  be  constructed  to  enable  the  production  of 
goods  to  any  amount.  A  carefully  detailed  history  of  their 
business  during  this  time,  showing  the  discouragements 
which  attended  the  establishment  and  growth  of  what  is 
now  so  important  a  branch  of  our  manufactures,  would  be 
invaluable.  At  this  date,  however,  the  preparation  of  such 
a  sketch  is  almost  impossible,  and  of  the  accounts  which 
have  been  published  at  different  times  many  have  been 
found  to  be  so  incorrect  that  they  are  not  worthy  of  quota 
tion.  An  outline  of  the  history  is  all  that  can  be  satisfac 
torily  obtained.  The  following  published  in  the  Bennington 
JBanner  in  Nov.  1870,  though  inaccurate  in  some  particulars, 
may  be  of  interest: 


78  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1843. 

"  Twenty-five  years  ago,  the  writer,  after  going  through 
as  much  circumlocution  and  full  as  many  assurances  as  are 
required  to  work  one's  way  into  a  Masonic  Lodge,  visited 
the  knitting  room  of  Messrs.  Egberts  &  Bailey  at  Cohoes, 
N.  Y.,  who  were  then  the  most  extensive  arid  successful  and 
almost  the  exclusive  machinery  knitters  in  this  country. 
Their  machinery  was  an  improvement  on  any  then  in  use 
and  was  not  patented.  They  preferred  keeping  it  so  secret 
that  the  monopoly  which  they  enjoyed,  would  be,  as  it 
proved  to  be,  more  profitable  and  surer  to  bring  them  a 
fortune  than  to  run  the  risks  of  improvements,  infringements 
and  impositions  which  then,  as  now,  were  sure  to  follow 
the  public  exposure  of  specifications  and  explanations  neces 
sary  to  be  made  in  procuring  letters  patent.  They  em 
ployed  only  the  most  reliable  workmen,  kept  their  doors 
constantly  fastened  with  spring  locks,  and  allowed  no  man 
in  their  knitting  room  without  first  putting  him  under  the 
most  sacred  obligations  to  divulge  nothing  which  they 
might  learn  or  find  within  those  mystic  walls.  One  Gen. 
Geo.  S.  Bradford  ran  the  Cohoes  mill  by  contract  for  two 
years,  it  being  a  stipulation  in  the  contract  that  lie  should 
not  enter  the  knitting  room,  and  he  did  not  until  a  defection 
on  the  part  of  the  foreman  made  it  necessary  that  some 
man  should  take  charge  in  there.  Timothy  Bailey  who  was 
the  inventor  of  the  machinery  then  used,  and  the  foreman 
Van  Dwyer  who  had  always  run  it,  were  the  only  persons 
who  knew  anything  about  it,  and  although  they  had  come 
to  have  much  confidence  in  Gen.  Bradford's  knowledge  and 
management  of  machinery,  the  company  could  hardly  sup 
pose  that  he  could  run  a  set  of  knitters  which  he  had  never 
seen,  and  which  were  of  an  entirely  different  style,  and  far 
more  complicated  than  the  frames  since  in  use,  and  turn  out 
the  usual  and  necessary  quantity  of  goods.  The  sequel 
proved,  as  all  who  have  since  known  the  general  would  ex 
pect,  that  he  did  run  it  most  successfully,  and  turned  out, 
not  only  an  excess  over  the  usual  amount  of  goods,  but  a 
much  improved  article.  For  many  years  this  Cohoes  mill 
was  the  only  knitting  mill  of  importance  in  the  country, 
and  was  claimed  to  be  the  only  one  in  the  world  where  all 
the  knitting  of  shirts  and  drawers  was  done  by  machinery." 
The  following  is  from  an  address  delivered  in  1866  before 
the  National  Association  of  knit  goods  manufacturers  by 
Hon.  C.  H.  Adams,  then  president  of  that  body  : 


1843.  HISTORY  OF  COHOBS.  79 

"  I  can  remember,  among  the  recollections  of  my  boyish 
days,  when  the  principle  of  knitting  by  power  was  first  suc 
cessfully  applied  in  this  country.  It  was  first  attained  in 
1832,  although  nothing  of  importance  was  accomplished 
until  1841.  In  those  days  the  inventor  and  manufacturer, 
now  one  of  our  honorary  members,  was  wont  to  wander 
through  the  streets  of  New  York,  urging  the  merchants  to 
permit  him  to  leave  a  sample  of  goods  for  sale.  The  whole 
production  of  that  time  did  not  exceed  $40,000,  now  we 
estimate  our  production  at  half  as  many  millions." 

For  some  years,  although  the  production  of  the  mill  was 
so  slight,  it  could  not  all  be  disposed  of  in  the  New  York 
market,  so  part  of  it  was  sold  in  small  lots  to  Troy  and 
Albany  merchants  and  among  the  country  stores  in  the 
vicinity.  In  Troy,  it  is  said,  Mr.  Bailey  would  go  from  one 
dry-goods  dealer  to  another,  carrying  packages  of  shirts 
and  drawers  and  taking  in  return  for  their  sale  orders  pay 
able  in  goods,  and  with  these  the  female  operatives  in  the 
mill  were  paid. 

In  time,  however,  as  Egberts  &  Bailey's  goods  grew 
into  favor,  the  increased  demand  made  such  efforts  as  these 
unnecessary,  and  their  business  became  established  on  a 
sound  basis.  When  the  building  of  the  mill  was  com 
menced  it  was  in  a  prosperous  condition  ;  the  dullness  of 
1840  and  1844,  had  on  the  passage  of  the  protective  tariff 
act  been  succeeded  by  great  activity,  and  during  the  pre 
vious  year  the  firm  had  cleared  $22,000.  The  mill  was  the 
first  in  the  village,  and  it  is  said,  in  this  country,  erected 
especially  for  knitting  purposes.  The  building,  which  was 
of  brick,  was  originally  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  by 
forty-five  feet,  and  three  stories  high.  Four  sets  of  ma 
chinery  were  put  in  operation  at  first,  and  two  more  after 
ward  added  when  the  seaming  room  was  completed  — 
a  brick  building  twenty-five  by  seventy  feet  and  two 
and  a  half  stories  high,  extending  to  the  corner  of 
Ontario  and  Remsen  streets.1  The  builder  of  the  mill  was 


This  was  converted  into  a  store  by  F.  E.  Pennock  in  1859. 


80  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1844. 

Joshua  R.  Clarke,  and  the  wheelwright  Jacob  I.  Lansing. 
Soon  after  it  was  finished  the  partnership  was  dissolved, 
Timothy  Bailey  remaining  in  the  Miller  building,  while  Mr. 
Egberts  and  Joshua  Bailey  took  possession  of  the  new  mill. 
When  this  factory  was  erected,  the  Cohoes  Company  made 
use  of  the  ravine  at  Ontario  street,  before  mentioned,  as  a 
water-course ;  and  the  first  bridge  over  it  on  Remsen  street) 
a  slight  wooden  structure,  was  built.  The  only  means  of 
crossing  it  before  had  been  by  two  planks  stretched  side  by 
side  from  one  bank  to  the  other. 

In  1844  was  built  the  sawing  and  veneering  mill  of  Wm. 
Burton  &  Co.,  who  for  many  years  were  among  the  most 
prominent  firms  of  Cohoes.  For  some  time  previous  Mr. 
Burton  had  been  in  business  with  John  M.  Tremain,  their 
establishment  being  located  in  an  upper  story  of  the  Wilkin 
son  machine  shop. '  In  this  year  he  bought  Mr.  Tremain's 
interest,  and  also  the  machinery  and  fixtures  of  Levi  Silli- 
man,  who  had  succeeded  Hawes  &  Baker,  thus  securing  a 
monopoly  in  Cohoes  of  that  branch  of  manufacture.  The 
building  (now  occupied  as  a  knitting  mill  by  Thompson  & 
Horrocks),  was  of  brick  and  stone,  thirty  by  sixty  feet,  and 
had  three  stories  including  the  basement.  An  upper  story 
was  occupied  by  Parkhurst's  bedstead  factory. 

From  this  time  there  is  nothing  of  importance  to  be  re 
corded  until  the  year  1846,  which  was  one  of  marked  growth 
in  the  business  interests  of  the  place.  Among  the  most 
important  accessions  were  two  establishments  for  the  manu 
facture  of  cotton  cloth,  the  largest  one  being  the  Ogden 
Mills.  The  Ogden  Mill,  No.  1,  the  foundations  of  which 
had  been  laid  in  1844,  was  completed  in  the  following  year. 
It  was  of  brick,  two  hundred  and  six  by  fifty-one  feet,  and 
had  three  stories  and  a  basement.  Directly  north  of  this 
was  the  No.  2  mill  built  in  1846,  which  was  two  hundred 


1  Tremain's  predecessor  in  that  building  was  an  Englishman  named  Mills  who  had 
commenced  the  sawing  business  about  1835. 


1846.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  81 

and  fourteen  by  fifty-two  feet  and  three  stories  high.  These 
buildings  have  since  been  united.  The  two  brick  blocks 
across  the  canal  west  of  the  mills,  were  built  at  the  same 
time  for  the  accommodation  of  the  operatives.  The  pro 
prietors  were  Messrs.  Tenney  &  Cowles,  of  Boston,  whose 
agent  in  Cohoes  was  Luke  Bemis. ' 

The  Strong  Mill,  situated  near  Mohawk  street  at  the  head 
of  the  Cohoes  Company's  third  level,  was  built  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  year,  by  Win.  X.  Chndwick.  The  machinery 
was  not  put  in  until  the  following  season.  The  build 
ing  was  of  brick,  eighty-three  by  forty-three  feet,  and 
had  three  stories  and  a  basement.  South  of  the  mill,  on 
Mohawk  street,  were  erected  three  wooden  tenements. 
Both  of  these  mills  were  built  by  John  B.  Colgrove, 
then  one  of  the  principal  carpenters  of  the  place.  With 
their  completion,  cotton  manufacture  took  the  foremost 
rank  among  the  industries  of  Cohoes.  The  capacity  of  the 
Harmony  Manufacturing  Company's  mills  had  been  in 
creased  in  1844.  The  president's  report  for  1846,  contained 
the  following  account  of  their  transactions  : 

"  The  amount  of  goods  made  during  the  past  year  are 
53,045  cuts  of  print  cloths,  averaging  thirty-two  yards  each, 
containing  1,692,125  yards,  showing  an  increase  over  the 
products  of  the  preceding  year  of  5,400  cuts  or  172,400  yards 
of  cloth.  723  bales,  containing  338,786  Ibs.  of  cotton  have 
been  used  during  the  past  year." 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  the  Cohoes  Worsted  Company 
was  incorporated,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  and  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  carpet  and  lace  yarns  in  the  building 
(on  the  site  of  the  Star  Mill)  which  had  been  erected  by 
Hawes  and  Baker.  Since  this  mill  was  vacated  by  Levi 
Silliman  it  had  been  occupied  by  Mr.  Roy  of  West  Troy 
as  a  butt  factory,  and  by  Alex.  Rogers  as  a  woolen  mill, 

1  In  February,  1847,  a  joint  stock  company  was  formed  of  which  the  trustees  were 
Amos  Tenney,  John  Tenney,  Luke  Bemis,  Robert  Curtis  and  Chas.  A.  Olmsted. 
Capital  $100,000,  which  was  increased  February,  1848,  to  $200,000  and  in  April, 
1850,  to  $275,000.    C.  A.  Olmsted  was  agent. 
11 


82  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1846. 

the  latter  having  possession  of  it  in  1845.  The  Worsted 
Company  built  for  its  operatives  the  wooden  structure  on 
the  upper  end  of  Remsen  street  known  as  the  Mouslin  de 
Laine,  Block,  which  was  destroyed  in  1873.  The  agent 
of  the  company  was  Wni.  Cockroft,  who  continued  in 
business  after  its  failure,  which  occurred  a  short '  time 
later. ' 

Two  new  concerns  were  located  in  the  Wilkinson  machine 
shop.  On  the  third  floor  was  the  sash  and  blind  factory 
of  James  Salisbury  &  Co.,-  the  first  establishment  of 
the  kind  in  the  place  ;  in  the  fourth  story  or  attic  was 
the  sofa  and  cabinet  ware  manufactory  of  Jacob  Dodge, 
who  employed  as  his  superintendent  R.  T.  Briggs.  The 
two  lower  stories  of  the  building,  were  then  occupied 
by  White,  Olmsted  &  Co.,  the  Wilkinson  machinery 
having  been  moved  by  Mr.  Olmsted,  part  to  his  foundery, 
and  the  balance  to  a  machine  shop  which  he  started  in  the 
basement  of  Ogden  Mill  No.  1.  In  these  two  establishments, 
and  in  the  shop  of  Baldwin  and  Baker,  much  of  the  ma 
chinery  for  the  Ogden  Mill  was  constructed. 

A  new  building  was  erected  by  Samuel  N.  Baldwin  on 
the  corner  of  Ontario  and  Remsen  streets  (now  Chadwick's 
Mill),  and  occupied  by  him  as  a  machine  shop.  It  was 
completed  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  and  the  first  work 
of  importance  was  the  manufacture  of  machinery  for  the 
Ogden  Mills.  The  wood  work  for  the  looms  was  made  by 
John  Baker,  who  was  established  in  an  upper  story  of  the 
building. 

The  improvements  of  the  past  few  years,  and  the  conse 
quent  increase  of  population  had  fairly  entitled  Cohoes  to 


1  He  subsequently  entered  into  partnership  with  Richard  Hurst  and  Ephraim 
French.  The  partnership  was  dissolved  in  March,  1854,  and  the  business  succeeded 
to  Mr.  Hurst,  who  continued  it  until  the  premises  came  into  possession  of  the 
Star  Knitting  Company.  Mr.  Cockroft  was  engaged  for  some  time  in  the  grocery 
business  in  the  store  at  the  junction  of  Mohawk  and  Remsen  streets,  but  disposed 
of  his  interest  in  1853,  to  Geo.  Wood. 

a  Afterward  Loveland  and  Palmer. 


1847.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  83 

rank  as  a  growing  town,  and  as  such  one  of  her  first  requi 
sites  was  a  newspaper.  This  want  was  supplied  by  the 
establishment  of  The  Cohoes  Advertiser,  a  weekly  journal, 
the  first  number  of  which  was  issued  February  9th,  1847, 
by  Ayres  &  Co.1  The  firm  was  composed  of  Alexis 
Ayres  and  Wm.  H.  S.  Winans,  two  young  printers  from 
Troy,  the  editorial  department  being  under  control  of  the 
former.  The  paper  was  twenty  by  twenty-eight  inches,  and 
contained  twenty-four  columns,  about  half  of  which  were 
occupied  by  advertisements.  The  first  and  fourth  pages 
contained  miscellaneous  literary  matter  ;  the  second  page 
was  devoted  to  general  news,  editorial  articles  and  local 
items  —  the  latter  being  sadly  in  the  minority.  This  arrange 
ment  was  continued  for  a  number  of  years,  and  until  com 
munication  with  Troy  and  Albany  became  easier,  and  the 
newspapers  of  those  places  acquired  a  large  circulation  here, 
general  news  occupied  a  great  part  of  the  local  paper.  The 
supposition  was,  doubtless,  that  as  the  place  was  small, 
everybody  would  know  of  home  matters  without  being  told, 
and  would  prefer  a  paper  which  gave  them  information  of 
the  outside  world.  This  deficiency  in  the  local  columns, 
though  probably  satisfactory  to  the  subscribers,  is  not  en 
tirely  so  to  one  who  is  searching  for  facts  in  the  early  his 
tory  of  the  place. 

After  the  establishment  of  this  newspaper,  however,  the 
growth  and  history  of  Cohoes  can  be  much  more  easily 
followed  —  valuable  information  being  often  found  in  a  mere 
paragraph,  or  an  advertisement  ;  and  as  the  materials  for 
this  sketch  for  ensuing  years  have  been  taken  almost  entirely 
from  its  files,  it  would  be  ungrateful  to  make  any  com- 


1  The  office  of  the  paper  was  first  established  in  a  building  in  the  south  part  of 
the  Ogden  mill  yard,  which  has  since  been  removed,  and  now  stands  near  the  rail 
road  bridge.  In  April  it  was  removed  to  Factory  street,  "  first  door  below  the 
old  canal."  In  July  it  was  again  moved  to  the  southwest  corner  of  Factory  and 
Ilemsen  streets,  over  the  store  now  occupied  by  Geo.  E.  Thompson,  and  at  that 
time  by  E.  G.  Mussey.  From  there  it  was  taken  to  the  Wilkinson  building  occu 
pied  by  White.  Olmsted  &  Co. 


84  HISTORY  OF  COIIOES.  1847. 

plaints,  especially  since  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  however 
meager  the  local  columns  may  have  occasionally  been,  all 
matters  of  particular  importance  were  recorded. 

The  leading  article  of  the  first  Advertiser  was  a  salutatory, 
over  a  column  in  length,  in  which  were  stated  the  politics 
of  the  proprietors  (whig),  their  motives  for  establishing 
the  paper  and  their  expectations  in  regard  to  it.  Another 
column  was  devoted  to  a  comparison  of  the  tariff  of  1846 
with  that  of  1842,  with  coments  on  an  article  which  had 
appeared  in  the  Troy  Budget  in  regard  to  the  establishment 
of  the  Ogden  mills.  There  were  only  two  local  items,  both 
in  reference  to  a  fire  on  Mohawk  street,  which  was  thus 
described  : 

"  On  Thursday  night  last  our  village  was  visited  by  a 
fire  which  for  a  time  threatened  great  destruction,  but 
through  the  indomitable  exertions  of  our  citizens  its 
onward  progress  was  arrested.  It  originated  in  a  two  story 
building,  the  lower  part  of  which  was  occupied  by  Messrs. 
Howe  &  Ross  as  a  drug  store,  the  upper  part  by  S.  H.  Foster, 
Esq.,  and  Messrs.  Miller  &  Van  Santvoord,  attorneys,  and 
Dr.  Goss,  as  dentist.  The  building  was  owned  by  the 
Cohoes  Company,  and  not  insured.  Howe  &  Ross  were 
insured  for  about  $900.  S.  H.  Foster,  Esq.,  loss  about  $200, 
no  insurance.  Messrs.  Miller  &  Van  Santvoord's  loss  about 
$1000,  no  insurance.  Dr.  Goss's  loss  $100,  no  insurance. 
The  fire  soon  communicated  with  the  post  office  building 
owned  by  D.  W.  Leland,  Esq.  The  contents  of  the 
office  were  saved  —  building  insured  in  the  Saratoga  Co. 
Mutual  for  $300.  Here  the  progress  of  the  flames,  which 
for  a  time  threatened  destruction  to  a  row  of  wooden  build 
ings  south,  was  arrested  by  the  persevering  exertions  of  our 
citizens, -who  with  ropes  and  axes  succeeded  in  razing  it  to 
the  ground,  preventing  its  further  extension."  The  Cohoes 
advertisers jn  this  number  were  as  follows  : 

Lawyers :  S.  H.  Foster,  Miller  &  Van  Santvoord. 

Dealers  in  Dry  Goods  and  Groceries :  Wm.  H.  Hollister 
&  Co.,  Caw  &  Quackenbush,  White,  Olmsted  &  Co.,  Jones 
&  Southworth,  Jno.  P.  Steenberg,  P.  Kendrick  &  Son,  F. 
W.  Faraam,  J.  G.  Burnap,  W.  D.  Russell  &  Co.,  Patrick 
Me  Entee. 


1847.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  85 

Clothing,  etc. :  E.  C.  Howe,  Twining  &  Alden,  Waring 
&  Robbins. 

Stoves,  etc.  :  John  D.  Luffman. 

Drugs,  etc.  :  Howe  &  Ross. 

Cohoes  Hotel :  Robert  Williams. 

Dentist :  O.  P.  Yates. 

Axes,  etc. :  White,  Olmsted  &  Co. 

Cohoes  Foundery :  Chas.  A.  Olmsted. 

Cabinet  Ware :  Jacob  Dodge. 

Of  these  business  men  only  one,  Isaac  Quackenbush,  is 
now  remaining  in  the  place. 

In  the  next  issue,  a  number  of  new  advertisers  appeared, 
among  them  Wm.  Burton  &  Co.,  saw  mill,  John  M.  Coon, 
boots  and  shoes,  James  G.  Foster,  leather,  and  A.  L. 
Phelps,  hair  dresser. 

The  editor  announced  his  intention,  in  the  issue  of  Feb. 
23d,  of  publishing  a  series  of  articles  on  the  "History  and 
Manufactures  of  Cohoes,  from  its  earliest  infancy,"  and 
added  "  We  shall  have  no  objection  to  mix  with  it  a  bit  of 
the  romantic,  and  for  that  purpose  invite  the  ladies  of  our 
village  to  exercise  their  imaginations  in  penning  a  tale  of 
1  love  and  daring '  by  some  Indian  maid  of  the  Valley  of 
the  Mohawk."  Several  prizes  were  offered  for  contributions 
of  this  kind,  but  none  ever  appeared.  The  articles  on  the 
manufactures  were  published,  however,  and  afford  us  an 
interesting  glimpse  of  the  state  of  Cohoes  industry  at  that 
time.  The  first  of  the  series,  from  which  extracts  are  given 
below,  appeared  March  9th. 

"  The  oldest  inhabitant  informs  us  that  when  he  came  to 
this  place,  sixteen  years  ago,  the  number  and  quality  of  the 
buildings  were  neither  worth  computing  or  placing  a  value 
upon.  There  were  five  tenements  constructed  of  the  most 
rude  material,  and  in  the  one  story  building  now  occupied 
as  the  justice's  office  (the  Richard  Heamstreet  tavern),  he 
obtained  his  board  and  lodging  until  he  secured  a  home  in 
the  suburbs.  This  was  only  sixteen  years  ago  ;  now,  with  its 


86  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1847. 

magnificent  water  power  improved,  extensive  manufactories, 
behold,  how  great  the  change.  While  its  sister  village  of 
Waterford  has  hardly  held  its  own,  Cohoes  has  been  ex 
tending  its  borders  until  it  now  boasts  of  a  population  of 

4,000 The  first  cotton  factory  was  built  in  1837. 

There  are  now  4  extensive  cotton  factories,  2  factories 
for  making  cotton  and  woolen  shirts  and  drawers,  1  factory 
for  making  worsted  yarn  and  mouselin  delaine,  2  extensive 
axe  factories,  2  grist  mills,  1  saw  mill  for  making  veneer 
and  looking  glass  backs,  1  paper  mill,  1  iron  foundry,  1 
paint  mill,  2  machine  shops,  1  bedstead  factory,  1  sofa 
factory,  1  scythe  and  edge  tool  factory.  Axes  and  edge 
tools  are  also  manufactured  at  the  extensive  manufactories 

of  Messrs.  Simmons  and  White,  Olmsted  &  Co The 

increase  in  population  during  the  last  year  is  about  1000.  .  .  . 

"  There  are  now  in  Cohoes  15  stores  and  groceries,  two 
stove  and  tin  ware  establishments,  2  drug  stores,  3  clothing 
stores,  1  leather  store,  1  dentist,  4  physicians,  3  lawyers,  5 
places  of  public  worship,  1  large  hotel,  2  shoe  stores." 

The  figures  given  in  descriptions  of  the  different  establish 
ments,  which  were  published  during  the  next  few  weeks, 
are  quoted  below.  A  comparison  of  them  with  the  indus 
trial  statistics  of  the  present  day  is  interesting,  as  affording 
one  of  the  best  means  of  judging  the  growth  of  the  place. 

"The  Harmony  Mill  has  nearly  8,000  mule  and  throstle 
spindles  and  220  looms  in  operation,  producing  over  1,500,000 
yards  of  printing  cloths  annually.  The  annual  consumption 
of  cotton  is  over  700  bales  averaging  450  Ibs.  each  ;  250  to 
260  operatives  are  employed  in  this  factory,  of  whom  about 
60  or  70  are  girls  occupied  in  the  weaving  rooms.  Up 
wards  of  $3,000  are  disbursed  monthly  to  operatives  alone. 

"  The  Strong  Mill  has  2,700  spindles  which  supply  yarn  for 
80  looms.  The  annual  production  is  estimated  at  750,000 
yards.  The  number  of  hands  employed  is  69.  The  con 
sumption  of  cotton  is  nearly  300  bales  per  year." 

"  The  Ogden  Mill,  No.  1,  contains  7,000  spindles  (self  actor 
mule),  and  180  looms.  Warp  No.  30,  filling  No.  32,  70 
ends  warp  and  78  picks  filling  to  the  inch.  20,000  yards  of 
41  and  36  inch  goods  are  manufactured  weekly.  About 
5,500  Ibs.  cotton  used  weekly.  No.  2  mill  contains  8,500 
mule  and  throstle  spindles  and  200  looms,  and  will  when  in 


1847.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  87 

full  operation  turn  out  3,500  yards  weekly.  250  hands  are 
now  employed  in  each  mill.  Pay  roll  about  $3,000  monthly 
for  each  mill. 

"  The  Cohoes  Iron  Foundry.  Mr.  Olmsted  now  employs 
in  these  works  about  60  operatives. 

"  Dodge's  Sofa  Manufactory.  This  establishment  is  capable 
of  manufacturing  from  15  to  20  sofas  per  week. 

"  Simmons's  Axe  and  Edge  Tool  Manufactory.  About  200 
men  are  employed  in  this  manufactory,  and  when  on  their 
way  to  and  from  their  work  look  like  an  army.  600  tons  of 
iron  and  100  tons  of  cast  steel  are  manufactured  up  yearly, 
and  1,200  tons  of  coal  are  consumed.  50  doz.  axes  besides 
tools,  are  manufactured  daily. 

"  Messrs.  White,  Olmsted  &  Co.  now  employ  about  60 
men  and  are  making  from  250  to  300  axes  per  day. 

Messrs.  O.  and  D.  Parkhurst's  Bedstead  Factory  is  capable 
of  manufacturing  from  100  to  150  bedsteads  per  week, 
from  the  common  rope  bedstead  to  the  most  finished  article 
in  use. 

"  Sash  and  Blind  Factory,  by  Jas.  Salisbury  &  Co.  They 
enjoy  facilities  for  making  sash  for  50  windows  per  day, 
and  a  proportionate  number  of  Venetian  shutter  blinds. 
From  6  to  8  men  are  employed. 

"  The  Cohoes  Worsted  Co.  The  number  of  spindles  in 
operation  is  2,000.  Combing  machines  2.  30  men  are  em 
ployed  in  combing  by  hand.  The  whole  number  of  opera 
tives  employed  is  130.  Amount  paid  per  month  $1,000. 
500  Ibs.  of  wool  are  manufactured  up  per  day. 

William  Burton  employs  8  or  9  hands. 

"  The  Cohoes  Knitting  Factory,  by  Timothy  Bailey.  Mr. 
B.  employs  about  50  operatives.  In  this  factory  are  18 
knitting  frames  in  operation,  800  spindles  and  3  sets  of 
cards.  About  1800  pairs  shirts  and  drawers  can  be  manu 
factured  per  week  by  this  machinery.  About  1000  Ibs. 
wool  and  the  same  amount  of  cotton  are  manufactured  up 
each  week.  Egberts  &  Bailey  work  up  about  400  Ibs. 
wool  a  day  employing  about  250  operatives." 

A  creditable  feature  of  the  early  numbers  of  the  Adver 
tiser  was  the  poetical  column,  sustained  by  local  talent. 
The  chief  contributors  were  S.  H.  Foster,  for  years  a  promi 
nent  lawyer  of  the  place,  and  Wm.  G.  Caw,  of  the  firm  of 
Caw  &  Quackenbush. 


88  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1847. 

In  the  issue  of  April  27th  is  first  mentioned  the  Young 
Men's  Association,  an  organization  which  had  been  formed 
a  short  time  previous  and  afterwards  became  a  prominent 
institution  of  the  place.  Its  objects  were  the  formation  of 
a  library,  and  the  support  of  a  lecture  course,  in  which  it 
had  a  fair  degree  of  success.  The  officers,  as  elected  this 
year,  were  :  Luke  Bernis,  president;  Henry  D.  Fuller,  first 
vice  president;  Geo.  Abbott,  second  vice  president;  Jacob 
W.  Miller,  corresponding  secretary;  Andrew  Alexander, 
recording  secretary ;  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  treasurer.  Managers : 
J.  M.  Brown,  H.  En  Earl  Jr.,  Wm.  Leckie,  Daniel  McEl- 
wain,  Charles  O'Brien,  S.  H.  Foster,  J.  Van  Santvoord,  C. 
A.  Olmsted,  C.  A.  Stevens,  Darius  Parkhurst,  Wm.  H. 
S.Winans. 

The  first  allusion  in  the  columns  of  the  paper  to  means 
of  communication  between  Cohoes  and  Troy  was  the  follow 
ing  advertisement  : 

"  COHOES  AND  TROY  RAIL  ROAD. 

JVew  arrangement. 

On  and  after  March  10th,  the  cars  on  this  road  will  run 
as  follows  : 

Leave  Cohoes  Leave  Troy 

i— 6  V— 1 

i— 8  10—J 

i— 11  1 

i— 2  5 

5— t  6* 

Perham  and  Pettis1 
Cohoes,  March  7,  1847." 

This  Cohoes  and  Troy  Rail  Road  was  an  institution  estab 
lished  several  years  after  the  opening  of  the  Troy  and 
Schenectady  road.  Perham  and  Pettis,  who  had  succeeded 
the  Messrs.  Fuller  as  proprietors  of  the  stage  line  in  1843, 
made  an  arrangement  with  the  rail  road  officials  by  which 
an  extra  car  was  attached  to  the  westward  bound  trains. 


1  The  fare,  as  stated  in  a  later  advertisement,  was  6^  cts.  to  Troy  and  18&  cts.  to 
Albany. 


1847.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  89 

This  car  was  dropped  at  Cohoes,  and  as  the  grade  was  heavy 
between  here  and  Troy,  could  be  started  on  the  downward 
trip  by  simply  loosening  the  brakes,  and  would  acquire 
sufficient  momentum  to  carry  it  to  the  Troy  bridge  ;  it  was 
then  drawn  to  the  station  by  horses.  This  method  of  travel 
proved  popular,  and  the  investment  doubtless  paid.  In  the 
Advertiser  of  July  6,  it  was  stated  that  "1700  passengers 
were  carried  over  the  Cohoes  and  Troy  Rail  Road  yester 
day."  Beside  the  above  route  Messrs.  Perharn  and  Pettis 
kept  possession  of  the  stage  line,  and  for  some  time  enjoyed 
a  monopoly  of  the  business.  On  June  8th,  the  following 
advertisement  appeared  : 

"  COHOES  AND  ALBANY,  SUMMER  ARRANGEMENT." 

Mail  Stages. 

The  subscribers  have  placed  upon  the  route  a  new  and 
commodious  stage  with  four  horses  and  will  run  for  the 
accommodation  of  passengers  as  follows :  Leave  Cohoes  post 
office  at  1*  P.  M.  Leave  Albany  Museum  at  4  p.  M.  Fare 
25  cents. 

PERHAM  and  PETTIS." 

However  restricted  in  former  years,  Cohoes  people  appear 
now  to  have  had  abundant  facilities  for  travel.  Another 
stage  line  was  'announced  soon  after  as  follows  : 

"  CLEAR  THE  TRACK  ! 

NEW  MAIL  LINE. 

Waterf ord,  Cohoes,  "West  Troy  and  Albany  — 

The  undersigned  having  fitted  up  a  neat  coach  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  traveling  public,  and  also  for  carrying 
the  mail,  respectfully  gives  notice  that  he  will,  on  and  after 
the  5th  of  October,  run  as  follows: 
Leave  Cohoes  for  West  Troy  at  8  A.  M.,  returning  at  9  A.  M. 

"    Waterf  ord  at  10  A.  M.,  returning  at  12£. 
"       at  li  P.  M.,  passing  through  West  Troy  at 
2  P.  M. 

Returning,  will  leave  Albany  at  4  p.  M. 
12 


90  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1847. 

Fare  from  "Waterford  to  Albany,  25  cts. 

"       "      Cohoes         "         "    '    25  « 

"       "  "  "    Troy       12 Jets. 

"       «      Troy  "    Albany,  12 Jets. 

The  undersigned  trusts  that  by  punctuality  and  a  fervent 
desire  to  please,  to  merit  a  share  of  public  patronage. 

JAMES  HUBBARD. 
Cohoes,  Sept.  29,  1847." 

The  project  of  connecting  Van  Schaick's  Island  with  Co 
hoes,  which  has  been  but  recently  carried  out,  has  been 
under  discussion  for  many  years.  One  of  the  earliest  sug 
gestions  on  record  in  regard  to  it  is  the  following  from  the 
Advertiser  Nov.  14  : 

"  Some  time  since  we  called  the  attention  of  the  people 
to  a  proposed  route  for  a  railway  between  here  and  Troy 
which  would  cost  comparatively  a  small  sum.  The  route 
was  to  connect  Van  Schaick's  Island  to  the  main  land  at  a 
point  east  of  the  Dutch  church  by  means  of  an  open  bridge, 
and  thus  reach  the  line  of  the  Saratoga  and  Troy  rail  road.  .  .  . 
The  cheapness  of  this  route  and  the  fact  of  its  decreasing 
the  present  traveled  distance  between  our  village  and  Troy, 
with  which  city  our  business  relations  are  so  extensive,  are 
conclusive  in  its  favor." 

The  citizens  of  Cohoes  have  always  responded  liberally 
to  any  call  for  aid  to  those  in  need,  and  the  sufferings  of  the 
Irish  people  from  the  famine  of  this  year,  for  the  relief  of 
which  so  much  was  done  in  this  country,  did  not  pass  un 
noticed  here.  An  Irish  Relief  Association  was  formed, 
which  raised  money  sufficient  for  the  purchase  of  fifty  bar 
rels  of  meal,  which  were  sent  to  the  sufferers.  The  follow 
ing  report,  from  G.  J.  Slocum,  who  furnished  the  meal, 
shows  the  amounts  contributed  by  different  individuals  as 
chairmen  of  committees,  etc. 

D.  P.  McDonald, $33  00 

Michael  Donovan, 14  00 

J.  M.  Brownson, 3  50 

H.  D.  Fuller, 21   75 

G.  J.  Slocum, 8  00 


1847.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  91 

H.  En  Earl, 3  00 

C.   A.   Olmsted, 37  50 

Miles  White, 23  50 

Geo.  Abbott, 2  50 

Mr.  Connaughty, — 1  00 

Luke  Bemis, 62  50 

Egberts  &  Bailey, 8  00 

Egbert  Egberts, 20  00 

$238  25 

A  fire  on  the  morning  of  Nov.  28th,  destroyed  the  paint 
mill  belonging  to  Jeremiah  Clute, '  situated  near  Courtland 
street  east  of  Mohawk,  at  a  loss  of  $2,000.  The  Advertiser 
took  occasion  to  again  urge  the  necessity  of  the  organization 
of  a  fire  department,  saying  that  if  it  had  not  been  for 
several  inches  of  snow  which  fell  during  the  previous  night 
severe  damage  would  have  been  done  to  adjacent  property. 
An  important  addition  to  the  religious  bodies  of  Cohoes, 
was  St.  Bernard's  Catholic  church,  organized  in  the  early 
part  of  the  year,  by  Rev.  Bernard  Van  Reeth,  a  Belgian. 
Mass  was  first  said  in  an  old  shop,  located  on  what  was 
then  known  as  the  Flats ,  and  later,  the  services  were  held 
in  a  carpenter's  shop  on  the  east  side  of  Remsen  street,  just 
below  Howard.  This  building  has  since  been  moved  to  the 
rear  of  the  block  now  owned  by  Win.  Healey,  and  is  now 
used  as  a  dwelling.  The  Catholics  in  Cohoes,  of  all  nation 
alities,  numbered  at  that  time  300. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  church  was  laid  Nov.  18th  by 
Bishop  McCloskey,  assisted  by  Rev.  Father  Van  Reeth  and 
several  other  clergymen.  The  Advertiser,  after  describing 
the  ceremony,  said  :  "  We  congratulate  our  citizens  in  the 
prospect  of  having  another  handsome  building  to  adorn  our 


1  This  mill  had  not  been  long  established.  Another  was  soon  afterward  built  by 
Mr.  Clute  on  the  bank  of  a  ravine  about  half  way  between  the  Cataract  House  and 
the  present  East  Harmony  school-house.  This  was  burned  Feb.  21,  1850,  and  then 
rebuilt,  and  then  again  burned  March  3, 1852. 


02  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1847. 

village.     We  understand  that  the  new  church  is  to  be  a 
gothic  structure  forty-five  by  eighty  feet,  with  a  tower  and 
spire.     For  ourselves,  we  wish  the  projectors  every  success." 
During  the  year  about  forty  buildings —  stores  and  dwell 
ings  —  were  erected  ;  many  of  them  being  on  Remsen  street? 
which  within  a  short  time  had  considerably  increased  in 
importance.     During  1846,  the  residence  of  Luke  Beniis 
(now  S.  A.  Becker's)  on  the  corner  of  Seneca  and  Remsen 
streets,  and  the  store  and  dwelling  of  W.  H.  Hollister,  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  Remsen  and  Oneida  streets,  had 
been  built  ;  the  principal  additions  in  the  following  year 
were  the  Granite  Hall  Block,  built  by  Mr.  Baker,  corner  of 
Ontario  and  Remsen  streets  ;  the  block  of  Caw  &  Quack- 
enbush,  southwest  corner  of  Oneida  and  Remsen   streets, 
and   the  building  adjoining  it  owned  by  Miller  &  Van 
Santvoord,  the  two  last  named  now  forming  Silliman's  Block. 
Another  important   structure,  was  a  four  story  building, 
forty  by  one  hundred  feet,  erected   by  H.  C.  Billings  of 
Schenectady,  just  north  of  Seneca  street,  on  the  site  of 
Johnston's  Block.     This  was  used  as  a  hotel,  the  ground 
floor  being  occupied  by  stores,   and  the  upper  story  as  a 
public  hall.     It  was  to  be  called  the    Claxton  House,  after 
Col.  F.  S.  Claxton,  agent  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  but  the 
name  finally  adopted  was  the  Van  JRensselaer  House.     It 
was  described  in  the  Advertiser,  as  "  similar  totheDelavan 
House,  nr Albany."     "  This,"  said  the  editor,  "  in  addition 
to  the  buildings  of  Mr.  Baker,  Miller  &  Van   Santvoord 
and   Caw   &   Quackenbush,    the   new    Presbyterian    and 
Methodist  churches,  will  render  Remsen  street  the  Broad 
way  of  Cohoes." 

In  the  rear  of  the  hotel  Mr.  Billings  commenced  the  erec 
tion  of  a  factory,  in  later  years  known  as  the  Mohawk  Mill, 
the  first  story  of  which  was  completed  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  year,  but  for  some  reason  the  building  was  not  finished 
until  some  time  after. 


1847.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  93 

Other  new  structures  were  the  bedstead  factory  of  Messrs. 
Parkhurst,  a  brick  building  thirty-five  by  seventy  feet,  and 
three  stories  high,  which  stood  near  the  north  end  of  the 
present  jute  mill  ;  a  brick  store  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street  owned  by  Wm.  N.  Chadwick,  which  the  editor  de 
scribed  as  the  "handsomest  store  in  the  village,"  and  a  brick 
school  house  on  the  corner  of  Canvass  and  Oneida  streets, 
which  was  built  by  A.  L.  Ferguson.  Its  erection  was  pro 
cured  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Messrs.  J.  W.  Miller  and 
C.  A.  Olmsted,  then  school  trustees.1  Preparations  were 
also  made  by  F.  W.  Farnam  for  the  erection  of  the  three 
story  brick  store  on  Mohawk  street,  foot  of  Factory,  which 
now  forms  part  of  North's  Block.  A  small  wooden  store  on 
its  site,  which  had  been  occupied  by  the  Messrs.  Fuller,  was 
moved  to  the  south  corner  of  Remsen  street  and  St.  John's 
alley,  and  used  by  J.  M.  Brown  as  a  shoe  store.  It  is  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  Mrs.  Ira  Terry.  These  improve 
ments,  indicating  a  good  degree  of  prosperity,  were  made 
the  subject  of  frequent  congratulations  by  the  editor  of  the 
Advertiser.  One  article,  entitled  "  CANT  HELP  CROWING," 
after  stating  that  "  Cohoes  and  improvement  are  synony 
mous  "  and  enumerating  the  buildings  then  in  progress, 
concluded  as  follows  : 

"  Now  for  a  village  charter  —  for  the  water  works  —  three 
or  four  good  engines  —  clean  streets  —  and  a  law  limiting  the 
number  of  dogs  in  each  family  to  two,  a  law  also  prohibit 
ing  swine  running  at  large,  and  we  are  a  made  community." 

1  This  building  remained  in  use  until  March,  1871,  when  it  was  sold  to  A.  J. 
Griffin,  who  converted  it  into  a  dwelling  house. 


94  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1848. 

VI. 

1848  TO  1854. 

I^INCE  1840,  there  had  been  a  wonderful  increase  in 
the  activity  of  Cohoes.  The  establishment  of  two  large 
cotton  factories,  a  new  knitting  mill,  and  a  number  of  mis 
cellaneous  concerns  added  greatly  to  the  population  and 
business  importance  of  the  place.  The  hamlet  of  fifteen 
years  before,  containing  a  score  of  houses,  had  now  become 
a  thriving  village,  with  every  prospect  of  rapid  growth  ; 
its  development,  after  a  long  struggle,  was  well  under  way, 
and  the  time  had  come  for  the  inhabitants  to  take  measures 
for  its  systematic  organization  and  improvement. 

The  necessity  of  incorporating  the  village  had  been  for 
some  time  felt  by  many  citizens,  but  the  project  was 
agitated  for  a  year  or  more  before  the  general  feeling  in  its 
favor  was  strong  enough  to  carry  it  into  effect. 

In  April  1847,  the  six  weeks  notice  for  application  to  the 
legislature  for  a  charter  was  filed,  but  nothing  further  was 
accomplished.  Agitation  of  the  matter  continued  during 
the  year,  and  it  was  made  the  subject  of  numerous  articles 
in  the  Advertiser  setting  forth  the  benefits  which  would 
result  from  incorporation.  The  following  is  a  specimen: 

"  The  annual  tax  consequent  upon  it  is  nothing  in  com 
parison  with  its  manifold  advantages.  We  should  then  have 
comfortable  and  convenient  sidewalks  and  not  be  subjected 
to  the  disagreeable  necessity  of  traveling  through  mud, 
ankle  deep,  or  being  ship-wrecked  in  any  one  of  the  many 
ditches  and  puddles  which  are  too  abundant  by  half,  or  of 
being  brought  up  "  all  standing,"  as  the  term  is,  against 
some  stump  or  post  placed  out  of  line.  In  the  event  of 
being  incorporated,  some  little  degree  of  pride  would  be 
evinced  by  our  law  makers,  and  an  efficient  Fire  Depart 
ment  would  be  organized.  Send  in  the  petitions,  then  ; 
press  them  upon  the  attention  of  the  legislature,  and  let  us 
have  some  laws  by  which  to  be  governed  in  future,  the 


1848.  HlSTOEY   OF    COHOES.  95 

observance  of  which  will  tend  to  beautify  and  improve  the 
appearance  of  our  growing  village." 

Such  appeals  from  the  editor,  and  the  continued  efforts 
of  the  friends  of  incorporation  seem  to  have  had  their  effect. 
A  meeting  of  the  electors  at  the  hotel  was  called  Feb.  3d, 
of  which  notice  was  given  in  the  paper  as  follows :  "  Reader, 
dear  reader,  dear  indulgent  reader,  in  view  of  the  past  let 
us  do  something  for  the  future.  There  is  to  be  a  meeting 
to-morrow  evening  at  mine  host  Williams's  to  take  into  con 
sideration  the  first  steps  towards  getting  a  charter  for  this 
village.  Several  worthy  individuals  have  been  missing 
during  this  latter  "  thaw."  Come  to  the  meeting,  and  go  it 
strong  for  a  charter  or  a  line  of  life  boats." 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  proceedings  of  this  meet 
ing  :  "  Chas.  A.  Olmsted  was  appointed  chairman,  and 
Leonard  Van  Dercar  secretary. 

"  The  secretary  then  read  part  of  the  act  relating  to  in 
corporations.  John  Van  Santvoord,  Esq.,  submitted  the 
following  resolution  which  was  adopted  : 

"  Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  meeting  it  is  expedi 
ent  that  we  take  the  necessary  steps  to  incorporate  the 
village  of  Cohoes. 

"  On  motion  of  Egbert  Egberts,  Esq.,  that  a  committee  of 
five  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to  take  the  necessary  steps 
for  the  incorporation,  the  chair  appointed  as  such  committee 
Egbert  Egberts,  Wm.  N.  Chadwick,  John  Van  Santvoord, 
Jeremiah  Clute,  and  Henry  D.  Fuller.  It  was  moved  and 
adopted  that  the  chairman,  Chas.  A.  Olmsted,  be  added  to 
the  committee,  and  that  the  committee  have  discretionary 
power  to  determine  on  the  boundary  of  such  charter  and 
also  to  call  further  meeting." 

The  matter  was  then  pressed  rapidly  forward,  and  the 
charter  was  drawn  up  by  John  Van  Santvoord,  who  had 
been  from  the  first  one  of  the  most  active  men  in  its  favor. 

A  map  of  the  territory  to  be  incorporated  (now  on  file  in 
the  county  clerk's  office)  was  made  by  John  P.  Steenberg, 
April  15th,  in  which  the  area  of  the  village  is  given  in 
1603.22  acres.  On  June  5th  the  application  for  incor- 


96  HISTORY  or  COHOES.  1848. 

poration  was  granted  by  the  court  of  sessions  at  Albany, 
which  appointed  as  inspectors  of  election,  to  canvass  the 
vote  of  the  electors  upon  the  measure,  Chas.  A.  Olmsted, 
Origen  S.  Brigham  and  Alfred  Phelps.  The  election  was 
held  on  the  1st  July  with  the  following  result : 

In  favor, 346 

Against, 26 

372 

The  first  charter  election  was  held  at  the  Cohoes  Hotel  a 
week  later.  The  officers  voted  for  were  :  five  trustees, 
three  assessors,  a  treasurer,  collector,  clerk,  and  poundmaster. 
The  number  of  voters  was  521.  The  first  session  of  the 
trustees  was  held  Aug.  4th,  in  Miller  &  Van  Santvoord's 
law  office  on  Remsen  street,  which  was  the  place  of  meeting 
until  the  completion  of  the  engine  house  in  the  following 
year. 

Almost  the  first  business  done  by  the  trustees  was  to 
take  steps  for  the  organization  of  a  fire  department.  Up 
to  1847  the  village  had  enjoyed  a  singular  exemption  from 
fires,  but  the  occurrence  of  several  disastrous  conflagra 
tions  during  that  year  awoke  the  citizens  to  the  necessity 
of  being  better  provided  for  accidents  of  this  kind.  Ac 
cordingly  Miles  White  went  to  Albany,  and  on  his  own 
responsibility  borrowed  from  the  authorities  an  old  hand- 
engine  —  No.  6  in  the  Albany  department  —  which  had  been 
discarded  because  unfit  for  use.  A  small  amount  was  spent 
in  repairs,  and  the  machine  was  brought  to  Cohoes,  and 
though  by  no  means  in  good  working  order,  was  used  for 
some  time.  The  only  fire  apparatus  prior  to  this  of  which 
Cohoes  could  boast  was  a  small  rotary  hand  engine  called 
the  Excelsior  No.  1,  which  had  been  purchased  in  1834 
or  1835  by  subscriptions  from  a  number  of  citizens,  among 
whom  were  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  Oliver  Hubbard  and  David 
Wilkinson.  Its  insignificance  may  be  inferred  from  the 
fact  that  in  a  report  made  to  the  trustees  on  the  condition 


1848.  HISTORY  OF  COIIOES.  97 

of  the  fire  department,  it  was  stated  that  "  your  committee 
would  report  that  they  cannot  find  the  Excelsior  engine 
No.  1."  The  machine  had  done  good  service,  however,  con 
sidering  its  size  and  power,  for  a  number  of  years,  and  at 
one  time  was  the  means  of  checking  a  large  fire  in  Water- 
ford  which  threatened  to  consume  the  entire  village.  In 
later  years,  however,  it  was  treated  with  a  contempt  which 
the  memory  of  its  past  services  should  have  restrained,  and 
was  kicked  about  from  one  place  to  another,  the  plaything 
of  several  generations  of  boys.1 

After  the  fire  on  Mohawk  street  which  is  chronicled  in 
the  first  number  of  the  Advertiser  it  became  evident  that 
the  village  fire  apparatus  was  greatly  deficient,  and  a  meet 
ing  of  the  citizens  at  the  hotel  was  accordingly  called  for 
the  purpose  of  arranging  for  better  protection.  A  com 
mittee  consisting  of  Luke  Bemis,  Egbert  Egberts,  Miles 
White,  H.  D.  Fuller,  G.  A.  Slocum,  L.  S.  Fonda,  Wm.  N. 
Chadwick,  Chas.  A.  Olmsted,  S.  F.  Wilson  and  W.  H.  S. 
Winans  was  appointed  to  take  the  necessary  steps  and 
Luke  Bemis  was  chosen  to  act  as  chief  engineer  in  case  of 
the  occurrence  of  a  fire.  The  result  of  this  meeting  was 
the  purchase  by  Messrs.  Fuller,  Wilkinson  and  Olmsted  of 
the  Cataract  hand  engine,  and  the  formation  of  a  com 
pany,  of  which  H.  D.  Fuller  was  captain.  An  entrance  fee  of 
$3  was  charged  each  member,  and  the  proceeds  were  devoted 
to  the  purchase  of  a  hose-cart. 

On  August  llth,  1848,  it  was  resolved  "  that  the  corpo 
rate  authorities  of  the  village  of  Cohoes  purchase  from  S. 
Wilkinson,  G.  T.  Olmstead  and  H.  D.  Fuller  the  fire  engine, 
hose  carriage  and  hose  purchased  by  them  from  L.  Button 
&  Co.,  and  to  pay  to  them  or  their  order  the  sum  of  $675. " 
The  department  was  regularly  organized  at  the  meeting 


1  It  is  said  that  the  wheels  and  axles  of  the  old  engine  are  still  in  existence  and 
form  part  of  a  cart  used  in  moving  iron  about  Morrison,  Colwell  &  Page's  mill. 

13 


98  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1848. 

of  Oct.   4,  1848,  from  the  minutes  of  which  the  following 
is  an  extract  : 

"  Resolved,  That  two  fire  companies  be  organized  in  this 
village  for  the  extinguishment  of  fires,  and  that  one  of  the 
said  companies  be  known  and  styled  as  the  Parmelee  Engine 
Co.,  No.  2,  and  that  the  other  company  be  styled  Cataract 
Engine  Co.,  No.  3,1  and  that  said  companies  be  composed 
of  not  more  than  fifty  men  each. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  engine  known  as  Excelsior  Engine 
No.  1,  be  placed  in  charge  of  the  fire  wardens  to  be  and  to 
remain  under  their  direction  and  control,  subject  to  the 
action  of  the  trustees. 

"  On  motion  of  Mr.  Abbott,  the  following  were  appointed 
members  of  Cataract  Engine  Company  No.  3  : 
Wm.  T.  Palmer,  John  Eastwood, 

Samuel  Wilkinson,  S.  M.  Swart, 

Chas.  E.  St.  John,  Jacob  I.  Lansing, 

Henry  E.  Robbins,  Isaac  D.  Ayres, 

Henry  L.  Landon,  Sherman  D.  Fairbank, 

Julius  Robbins,  Thos.  H.  Kendrick, 

Patrick  H.  Moore,  Joseph  B.  Prescott, 

Wm.  Green,  Wm.  Manning, 

John  Van  DerMark,  Lucien  Fitts, 

Wm.  Ferrell,  I.  F.  Overpaugh, 

Joseph  Hahn,  Wm.  H.  Doty, 

Alexander  Hay,  John  P.  Warwick, 

Joseph  M.  Brown,  George  W.  Miller, 

Marcus  S.  Deyo,  Darius  Parkhurst, 

George  Jackson,  Wm.  B.  Barrett. 

Alonzo  Wilmot, 

The  following  of  Parmelee  No.  2  : 
Jacob  J.  Lansing,  Malachi  Ball, 

Wm.  L.  Freeman,  Alex.  McCalla, 

Jos.  C.  Kittle,  A.  F.  Rockwell, 

J.  H.  Johnson,  Wm.  Shannon, 

Wm.  H.  Van  Der  Werken,     John  McEnerny, 
Henry  Hall,  Jr.,  Herman  D.  Felthousen, 

John  A.  Miller,  John  Van  Santvoord." 

Benjamin  Franklin, 

The  Parmelee  Engine  Company  took  charge  of  the  Albany 


On  petition  of  the  company  the  name  was  in  1850  changed  to  No.  1. 


1848.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  99 

machine,  which  became  No.  2,  in  the  Cohoes  department, 
and  when  this  was  returned  in  August  of  the  following 
year,  the  company  "  ran  with  "  the  old  Excelsior  No.  1, 
chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  little  healthful  opposi 
tion.  Arrangements  were  soon  after  made  for  an  engine 
house.  A  report  was  submitted  to  the  trustees  Oct.  16, 
that  "Mr.  John  Hays  offers  to  sell  to  the  village  a  lot 
twenty-five  by  thirty  situated  near  the  Methodist  church 
for  $350,"  and  at  the  next  meeting  the  president  was 
authorized  to  purchase  it.  The  price  paid  was  $312,  of 
which  $112  were  paid  down  and  bonds  of  $100  each,  paya 
ble  in  one  and  two  years,  executed  for  the  balance. 

The  building  (which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Campbell 
Hose  Company),  was  erected  in  the  same  year  by  Henry 
Van  Auken,  the  contract  price  being  $750.  Until  its  com 
pletion  the  Cataract  was  kept  in  a  shed  belonging  to 
the  Cohoes  Company  on  Mohawk  street  on  the  site  of  Bil- 
brough's  Mill.  A  barn  which  stood  on  the  east  side  of 
Remsen  street,  south  of  Factory  street,  was  also  used  for 
an  engine  house,  the  Excelsior  having  been  kept  there  for 
some  time. 

In  February  of  this  year,  the  village  paper  changed  hands, 
Alexis  Ayres  retiring,  and  his  place  being  taken  by  Isaac 
D.  Ayres,  formerly  of  the  Troy  Telegraph.  It  was  pub 
lished  for  the  next  year  under  the  title  of  the  Cohoes  Journal. 
The  files  during  that  time  unfortunately  cannot  be  obtained; 
which  is  especially  to  be  regretted,  since  the  incorporation 
of  the  village,  the  organization  of  a  fire  department,  the 
construction  of  water  works,  and  other  important  local  mat 
ters  doubtless  furnished  abundant  material  for  interesting 
discussion. 

The  question  of  supplying  the  village  with  water  by 
means  of  the  Cohoes  Company's  Canal  had  been  agitated 
during  1847.  The  first  public  movement  in  the  matter  was 
in  response  to  the  following: 


100  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1848. 

NOTICE. 

"  The  occupants  of  dwellings  in  this  village  are  requested 
to  meet  at  the  Cohoes  Hotel,  Wednesday  Eve,  next,  23d 
inst.,  at  8  o'clock,  to  ascertain  what  encouragement  can  be 
given  to  the  Cohoes  Company  for  the  establishment  of  hy 
drants  in  the  principal  streets  and  the  introduction  of  water 
from  their  Summit  Canal  into  the  dwellings  of  those  who 
desire  it. 

Chas.  A.  Olmsted,  L.  Bemis, 

Wm.  P.  Israel  Jr.,  H.  Howe, 

Egberts  &  Bailey,  Miles  White, 

J.  Van  Santvoord,  Sam'l  Wilkinson, 

F.  W.  Farnam,  John  D.  Luffman, 

O.  &  D.  Parkhurst,  H.  D.  Fuller. 

Dated  Cohoes,  June  19,  1847." 

The  result  of  this  and  subsequent  meetings  was  an  agree 
ment,  prepared  in  September,  between  the  citizens  and  the 
Cohoes  Company  in  which  were  stated  the  terms  and  con 
ditions  upon  which  the  latter  would  commence  operations. 
This  was  signed  by  a  large  number  of  citizens.  The  work 
was  completed  in  1848,  and  pipes  were  laid  through  the 
principal  streets  under  the  direction  of  Col.  F.  S.  Claxton. 
The  water  was  drawn  from  the  Cohoes  Company's  upper 
level,  the  reservoir  being  near  the  point  in  the  canal  from 
which  the  water  for  Harmony  Mill  No.  2  is  now  taken. 

A  rail  road  between  Albany  and  Cohoes  had  been  talked 
of  for  some  years.  A  movement  in  its  favor  had  been  made 
as  early  as  1846,  but  it  met  with  some  opposition,  as  appears 
from  the  following  remonstrance  to  the  legislature  which 
was  signed  by  a  number  of  Cohoes  citizens: 

"The  undersigned  citizens  of  Cohoes  in  the  county  of 
Albany  respectfully  remonstrate  against  any  act  authorizing 
any  rail  road  either  to  or  through  the  village  of  Cohoes. 
Our  citizens  are  generally  opposed  to  the  project,  for  the 
following  among  other  reasons: 

"  1st.  Such  a  rail  road  is  entirely  unnecessary. 

"  2d.  The  object  is  to  divert  the  trade  from  a  growing 
country  village  to  an  already  opulent  city. 


1848.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  101 

"  3d.  The  village  is  already  cut  up  with  roads  and  canals. 

"  4th.  The  effect  would  be  to  depreciate  the  value  of  pro 
perty  in  the  village  and  vicinity. 

"  5th.  A  rail  road  would  be  a  great  inconvenience  to  the 
farming  community  and  needlessly  expose  property  and  life. 

"  6th.  It  is  a  project  for  the  exclusive  benefit  of  a  large 
city  without  regard  to  the  interests  or  convenience  to  the 
community  in  general  who  ride  along  the  route  of  the  pro 
posed  road.  All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

"Cohoes,  February  28,  1846." 

In  the  following  year  a  bill  incorporating  a  company  was 
introduced,  but  nothing  came  of  it. 

In  the  winter  of  1848  the  Albany  and  Cohoes  Rail 
Road  Company  was  formed,  the  following  commissioners 
being  named  in  the  bill :  John  Stewart  and  John  Cramer  of 
Waterford  ;  Hugh  White  and  Egbert  Egberts  of  Cohoes  ; 
David  Hamilton  and  Wm.  N.  Chadwick  of  Watervliet ;  Jas. 
Horner,  C.  Van  Benthuysen,  S.  Stevens,  J.  L.  Schoolcraft, 
J.  K.  Paige,  J.  D.  Wasson,  Jas.  Edwards,  E.  P.  Prentice, 
Archibald  McClure,  Theo.  Olcott,  Wm.  Smith,  Peter 
Cagger,  Ellis  Baker,  James  Kidd  and  Stephen  Van  Rensse- 
laer  of  Albany.  The  capital  stock  of  the  company  was 
$250,000  divided  into  shares  of  $50  each.  After  many  de 
lays  its  books  were  opened  for  subscriptions,  but  the  stock 
did  not  sell  readily,  and  the  company  accomplished  no  more 
than  its  predecessors. 

A  number  of  new  buildings  were  erected  during  the  year, 
prominent  among  them  being  the  new  Methodist  and  Pres 
byterian  churches.  The  former  was  a  brick  building,  on 
Remsen  street,  on  the  site  of  the  present  church,  and  cost 
$12,000.  The  Presbyterian  church  on  Seneca  street  (which 
has  been  greatly  enlarged)  was  built  by  Joshua  R.  Clarke 
at  a  cost  of  $5,500,  the  lot,  valued  at  $2,000,  having  been 
presented  to  the  society  by  the  Cohoes  Company. 

Among  the  additions  to  the  business  of  the  place  was  a 
machine  shop  in  which  steam  power  was  used,  established 


102  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1849. 

by  Doncaster  and  Hay,  on  Remsen  street,  below  Columbia, 
near  the  site  of  the  residence  of  Wm.  T.  Horrobin.  The 
firm  did  not  continue  long  in  business. 

On  January  1st,  1849,  the  village  paper  came  into  the 
possession  of  Chauncey  Stow,  Horace  B.  Silliman  and  Stephen 
C.  Miller,  who  conducted  the  business  under  the  firm  name 
of  C.  Stow  &  Co.,  until  March,  when,  on  retirement  of  Mr. 
Stow,  the  firm  became  Silliman  &  Miller.  Messrs.  Stow 
&  Co.  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to  that  which  it 
now  bears,  The  Cohoes  Cataract,  and  made  several  altera 
tions  in  its  arrangement.  On  the  first  page,  between  the 
words  "  Cohoes  "  and  "  Cataract  "  appeared  a  woodcut  of 
the  Falls,  with  the  motto  underneath,  "  Goes  sparkling, 
dashing,  foaming  on."  The  editorial  column  on  the  second 
page  was  embellished  by  another  cut,  representing  the  in 
terior  of  the  sanctum,  in  which  three  very  jovial  looking 
gentlemen  (supposed  to  be  the  editors)  were  seen  sitting  at 
a  table,  which  was  covered  with  writing  materials.  The 
columns  on  the  same  page,  devoted  to  news  items,  editorial 
notes,  etc.,  were  headed  with  titles  appropriate  to  the 
name  of  the  paper,  such  as  Cataract  Foam,  Floating 
Straws  and  Drift-  Wood. 

There  appear  to  have  been  few  local  events  of  importance 
during  the  year,  and  the  editors  were  indebted  to  the  streets 
and  sidewalks  for  many  an  item.  Complaints  in  regard  to 
their  bad  condition  with  humorous  or  sarcastic  comments, 
and  appeals  to  the  authorities  to  have  railings  erected  in 
dangerous  localities,  were  a  prominent  feature  of  the  paper. 

With  the  labor  of  perfecting  the  organization  of  the 
village  government  the  trustees  had  found  time  during  1848, 
to  do  but  little,  except  the  establishment  of  a  fire  depart 
ment,  towards  accomplishing  those  results  which  the  editor 
of  the  Advertiser  had  hoped  would  follow  incorporation. 
In  the  succeeding  year,  however,  they  were  able  to  devote 
more  attention  to  general  improvements.  M.  McKernan 


1849.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  103 

was  appointed  engineer,  and  under  his  direction  grades  were 
established  for  streets  and  sidewalks  throughout  the  village. 

A  number  of  streets  were  opened  and  declared  public 
highways  according  to  his  surveys,  among  them  Remsen, 
Pine  and  White  streets  and  Trojan,  Rock,  and  Cataract 
alleys. 

The  following  list  of  moneys  necessary  to  meet  the  ex 
penses  of  the  village  for  the  year,  which  was  voted  for  at 
the  electors'  meeting,  in  March,  affords  an  interesting  con 
trast  to  the  city  budgets  of  the  present  time  : 

1.  "For  the  second  installment  of  the  purchase 

moneys  of  the  Engine  Lot, $100  oO 

2.  For  1  year's  interest  on  the  village  bonds  given 

for  the  balance  unpaid  on  the  Engine  Lot,       14  00 

3.  For   furnishing   and    painting   Engine    house,     200  00 

4.  For   furnishing   Engine   house    and    Trustees' 

Room  with  stoves,  pipe  and  furniture, 75  00 

5.  For  the  hire  of  barn  for  safe  keeping  of  Engine 

No.  3, 20  00 

6.  For  paying  expenses  of  the  Fire  Department,...  75  00 

7.  For  an  additional  hose  cart,  40  00 

8.  For  the  completing  the  establishment  of  grades 

for  sidewalks, 100  00 

9.  For  the  expenses  of  laying  cross  walks,  100  00 

10.  For  the  compensation  of  the  village  assessors 

for  the  next  year,  25  00 

11.  For  the  compensation  of  the  village  clerk  for 

the  next  year, 50  00 

12.  For  the  compensation  of  the  street   commis 

sioners  for  the  next  year,  50  00 

13.  For  printing, 75  00 

14.  For  books  and  stationery,  10  00 

15.  For  paying  the  expenses  of  the  annual  meeting 

for  1849,  and  of  special  meetings, 25  00 

16.  For  a  fund  for  paying  the  expenses  of  enforc 

ing  the  laws  and  other  contingent  expenses,       50  00 

17.  For  the  annual  rent  of  water  for  fire  hydrants,       25  00 

18.  For   the  fund   for  the    compensation   of   the 

collector  at  4  per  centum  for  the  next  year,       44  00 
And  which  said  several  sums  in  the  whole  amount  to  ten 
hundred  and  ninety  (1,090)  dollars." 


104  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1849. 

The  prevalence  of  the  cholera  during  the  summer  caused 
some  uneasiness,  and  several  precautionary  measures  were 
taken  by  the  trustees.  The  first  Board  of  Health,  appointed 
June  llth,  in  accordance  with  a  proclamation  by  the  go 
vernor,  was  as  follows:  Egbert  Egberts,  Francis  S.  Claxton, 
Miles  White,  Chas  A.  Olmsted,  Samuel  H.  Foster;  Health 
Officer,  Wm.  F.  Carter,  M.D. 

On  July  llth,  the  knitting  factory  of  Timothy  Bailey 
(now  Holsapple's  bedstead  factory)  was  burned,  the  two 
upper  stories  being  completely  destroyed.  The  fire,  which 
was  one  of  the  most  disastrous  that  had  yet  visited  Cohoes, 
was  spoken  of  in  the  Cataract  as  follows : 

"  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  caused  by  spontaneous  com 
bustion  of  the  wool  and  cotton.  .  .  The  building  was  owned 
by  Mr.  Haggerty  of  New  York,  and  was  insured  sufficiently 
to  cover  the  loss.  Mr.  Bailey's  loss  upon  the  machinery  is 
estimated  to  exceed  $5,000.  How  much  stock  was  lost  we 
did  not  ascertain.  He  was  fully  insured  on  all  losses,  but 
no  insurance  can  compensate  to  him  for  the  loss  by  suspen 
sion  of  his  business  at  this  most  pressing  season  of  the  year 
when  he  was  running  night  and  day  to  meet  his  orders. 
The  loss  falls  upon  one  of  our  most  worthy  citizens  who  has 
the  heartfelt  sympathy  of  all.  And  it  is  moreover  a  great 
calamity  to  our  village,  throwing  out  of  employment  nearly 
two  hundred  persons,  whose  main  support  was  derived  from 
this  establishment." 

Fire  companies  from  Waterford  and  Troy  were  in  attend 
ance,  and  excellent  service  was  done  by  the  Cataract  engine — 
of  which  it  was  said,  "  she  has  in  this  one  instance  well  re 
paid  her  cost  and  the  members  of  her  company  deserve  the 
thanks  of  our  citizens  generally."  Some  of  the  machinery 
was  saved,  and  with  this  Mr.  Bailey  removed  in  the  following 
month  to  Ballston,  where  he  established  a  mill.  Another 
fire,  in  November,  destroyed  part  of  the  building  in  the 
rear  of  the  Van  Rensselaer  House,  which  had  been  erected 
for  a  factory  by  II.  C.  Billings. 

"The  building  was  occupied  fora  number  of  different 
purposes,  having  a  Bat  Factory,  a  Sash  &  Blind  Factory 


1849.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  105 

in  one  end,  and  the  large  Saloon  of  the  Van  Rensselaer 
House  in  the  other.  The  fire  originated  in  the  Bat  Factory 
which  was  entirely  consumed.  The  end  containing  the  Saloon 
was  saved.  The  Cataract  Engine  was  on  hand  in  good 
season  and  did  nobly.  The  two  force  pumps  in  the  Ogden 
Mills  also  threw  a  large  quantity  of  water." 

The  saloon  or  ball  room,  referred  to,  was  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  building,  and  was  entered  by  a  passage  from 
the  dining  room  in  the  second  story  of  the  hotel.  Under 
the  ball  room  was  a  bowling  alley.  The  cotton  bat  and 
sash  and  blind  factories  were  in  the  north  end  of  the  build 
ing,  and  were  owned,  the  former  by  Nicholas  Coyle,  and 
the  latter  by  Overpaugh  and  Childs,  who  had  moved  from 
the  Wilkinson  machine  shop  the  machinery  formerly  used 
by  Loveland  and  Palmer,  whom  they  succeeded. 

A  new  business  establishment  of  the  year  was  B.  R. 
Peck's  Sash  and  Blind  Factory,  located  in  the  Baldwin 
machine  shop  building,  corner  of  Ontario  and  Remsen 
streets,  occupying  half  of  one  floor.  In  later  years  as  the 
business  increased,  Mr.  Peck  took  possession  of  the  entire 
main  part  of  the  building. l 

In  September  a  strike  occurred  in  the  Ogden  Mills,  which 
caused  considerable  excitement.  The  cause  was  a  fifteen  per 
cent  reduction  of  wages.  The  agent,  Mr.  Chas.  A.  Olmsted, 
advertised  at  once  for  outside  help,  which  was  procured, 
and  work  resumed  after  a  stoppage  of  three  weeks.  The  Co. 
hoes  Worsted  Company  earlier  in  the  same  year  had  trouble 
with  their  operatives,  and  a  public  meeting  of  workingmen 
was  called  which  condemned  their  action  in  most  emphatic 
terms.  Among  their  employes  was  Michael  McKernon, 
who  ran  for  surveyor-general  on  the  workingmen's  state 
ticket  of  that  year.  Other  Cohoes  workingmen,  among 


i  The  firm  of  Peck  &  Van  Der  Mark  was  formed  in  1856,  to  which  A .  J.  Goffe 
was  subsequently  admmitted,  but  retired  in  1859.  The  business  was  disposed  of  in 
1861  to  Messrs.  Falardo  and  DeVilliers,  who  conducted  at  until  the  buieding  changed 
ahnds  and  was  converted  into  a  knitting  mill. 

14 


106  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1849. 

them  Wm.  Manning,  H.  E.  Higley  and  Joseph  M.  Brown, 
were  prominent  in  that  campaign,  the  last  two  named  being 
on  the  state  central  committee. 

The  plank  road  fever  was  then  at  its  height  in  this  vicinity 
and  a  company  was  formed  in  which  several  Cohoes  parties 
was  interested,  to  build  a  road  from  here  to  West  Troy. 
It  was  completed  during  the  fall. 

At  different  times  during  the  year,  local  items  on  "  Im 
provements  "  showed  that  the  growth  of  the  place  was  con 
siderable.  The  following  is  from  the  Cataract  of  May  26  : 

"There  are  at  present  thirty  or  forty  buildings  going  up, 
besides  numerous  other  improvements.  Somebody  had 
better  begin  to  think  about  a  bill  to  make  Cohoes  a  city  — 
if  we  don't  hold  on  a  little  we  shall  be  big  enough  for  two 
before  the  next  session." 

Among  the  most  important  buildings  erected  were  the 
block  of  Egberts  &  Bailey,  on  the  west  side  of  Remsen 
street,  north  of  Cataract  alley,  and  the  block  on  Mohawk 
street  south  of  Ontario,  which  was  built  by  F.  S.  Claxton, 
and  is  now  owned  by  W.  T.  Dodge. 

Among  the  matters  of  public  importance  during  1850> 
was  a  movement  to  change  the  school  arrangements  of  the 
village,  which  were  then  under  control  of  the  town 
authorities.  The  village  was  divided  into  three  districts,  in 
each  of  which  scholars  of  all  ages  arid  degrees  of  advance 
ment  were  taught  in  the  same  building,  and  by  the  same 
teachers.  The  change  proposed  was  to  constitute  the  village 
one  school  district,  which  was  to  be  divided  into  five  wards. 
From  each  of  these  two  trustees  whose  term  of  office  was 
two  years,  were  to  be  elected,  under  whose  supervision  the 
schools  were  to  be  properly  graded,  and  by  whom  their 
affairs  were  to  be  managed.  At  a  meeting  held  February 
5th,  to  take  action  upon  the  matter,  "  A  committee  was 
appointed  to  draft  a  bill  in  conformity  with  the  plan,  and 
to  circulate  petitions  for  the  passage  of  the  same  by  the 
legislature.  The  committee  nominated  was  :  H.  B.  Silliman 
and  J.  M.  Brown,  from  District  No.  5  ;  Wm.  Manning  and 


1850.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  107 

Henry  Van  Auken  from  District  No.  15  ;  John  McGill  and 
Henry  Howarth,  from  District  No.  19.  On  motion,  John 
Van  Santvoord,  Henry  D.  Fuller  and  Patrick  Judge  were 
added  to  the  committee."  The  original  plan  met  with  some 
opposition  ;  at  a  meeting  held  the  next  week,  a  remon 
strance  was  presented  by  Mr.  Gary,  signed  by  one  hundred 
persons  in  District  No.  15,  against  the  passage  of  such  a 
law.  It  was  subsequently  modified  in  some  particulars, 
however,  and  the  bill  passed  the  legislature  April  10th. 

The  Cataract  during  this  year  was  frequently  enlivened 
by  spicy  paragraphs  on  local  topics,  many  of  which,  though 
affording  an  interesting  glimpse  of  life  in  Cohoes  at  that 
time,  can  scarcely  be  considered  as  historical  material.  One 
matter,  however,  which  was  made  the  subject  of  much 
humorous  comment,  was  deemed  of  sufficient  importance 
to  merit  the  attention  of  the  trustees,  which  it  received  in 
the  following  resolution  passed  February  llth: 

"Complaint  having  been  made  that  Wm.  H.  Bortell  has 
a  bear  near  his  house  which  is  not  safely  secured,  therefore 

"  Resolved :  That  the  police  constable  be,  and  he  is  hereby 
ordered  to  direct  the  said  Bortell  in  the  name  of  the  village 
to  secure  the  said  bear  or  remove  him  so  as  children  and 
passengers  shall  not  be  exposed  any  longer." 

Although  a  number  of  sidewalks  had  been  constructed 
during  1849,  there  was  still  enough  ground  for  complaint 
in  this  respect  to  justify  the  appearances  of  many  editorial 
squibs.  A  rough  wood  cut,  of  which  an  outline  is  given 
below,  was  published  in  the  issue  of  June  8th,  under  the 
heading,  "  A  Cut  on  our  Sidewalks,"  and  illustrates  the 
manner  of  grading  which  prevailed  at  that  time. 

Far  n  am 


Hahn 


The  erection  of  a  structure  to  be  used  as  a  court  room  by 
Justice  Daw  was  chronicled  as  follows: 

"  THE  NEW  COURT  HOUSE.     This  elegant  structure,  the 


108  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1850. 

corner  stone  of  which  was  laid  on  Tuesday  of  this  week  and 
which  is  now  nearly  completed,  stands  upon  the  corner  of 
Remsen  and  Seneca  streets'  and  just  on  the  other  side  of  a 
vacant  lot  commonly  occupied  by  a  large  pile  of  hogs,  in  a 
great  state  of  discomfort,  for  the  purpose  of  rubbing  off 
fleas  against  each  other,  in  which  they  seem  to  do  a  large 
business.  We  think  this  a  circumstance  highly  favorable 
to  the  rapid  dispensation  of  justice  and  likely  to  give  a  new 
impulse  to  the  progressive  march  of  law  and  order  through 
our  village.  This  magnificent  erection  is  about  fifteen  by 
twenty  and  about  eight  or  ten  high  ;  it  is  built  of  the  best 
three  by  four  joists  and  is,  we  understand,  to  be  shingled 
with  shad  scales,  both  because  they  are  the  best  to  shed 
water  and  are  also  the  most  appropriate  symbols  of  jus 
tice.  .  .  .  But  joking  aside,  we  are  glad  that  we  have  at  last 
got  a  convenient  place  for  the  administration  of  justice  ex 
clusively.  Now  who'll  build  a  lock  up  ?" 

Another  subject  which  furnished  abundant  material  for 
the  local  columns,  during  the  years  1849,  and  '50,  and  at 
different  times  later,  was  the  disagreement  between  the 
Cohoes  Company  and  the  village  authorities  in  regard  to 
the  construction  of  railings,  etc.,  and  repairs  of  bridges  on 
the  property  belonging  to  the  former.  The  trustees  claimed 
that  those  bridges  within  the  village  limits  which  were  made 
necessary  in  consequence  of  the  existence  of  the  company's 
water  courses,  should  be  kept  in  repair  by  them,  while  the 
company  insisted  that  as  the  bridges  were  used  as  a  part  of 
the  public  highways,  all  bills  for  repairing  them  should  be 
paid  by  the  village.  The  bridges  had  been  for  a  long  time 
in  very  bad  condition,  and  complaints  were  so  numerous 
that  the  authorities  made  some  repairs  on  them,  presenting 
the  bill  to  the  Cohoes  Company  with  their  assessment  for 
highway  tax.  Payment  was  refused,  and  a  long  dispute 
ensued.  In  the  trustees'  proceedings  of  June  12th,  1850, 
"  on  motion  of  Mr.  Caw,  the  president  was  authorized  to 
enter  into  an  arrangement  with  the  Cohoes  Company  to 
have  the  bridge  question  decided  by  the  Supreme  Court, 


1  On  the  Bite  of  Musgrove's  store. 


1850.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  109 

and  to  enter  into  an  agreement  with  them  that  in  the  mean 
time  all  necessary  repairs  to  bridges  and  all  necessary  new 
bridges,  should  be  made  by  the  village  and  the  company 
together,  each  paying  half  the  expense,  and  that  the  losing 
party  in  the  decision  of  the  court  refund  to  the  other  all 
such  advances." 

In  July  the  bridge  on  Seneca  street  (which  is  now  replaced 
by  a  stone  arch)  fell  —  not  with  a  crash,  said  the  editor,  be 
cause  it  was  too  rotten  —  to  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  while 
the  Troy  omnibus,  filled  with  passengers,  was  not  more  than 
ten  feet  away.  This  occurrence,  and  the  very  bad  condition 
of  the  bridge  over  Basin  A,  furnished  subjects  for  fresh 
complaints.  The  matter  was  settled  for  the  time  being  by 
an  agreement  in  the  following  year  on  the  part  of  the  com 
pany  to  pay  $1,225,  in  full  of  their  taxes  for  1848,  each  party 
to  settle  its  own  costs. ' 

The  Fourth  of  July  celebration  of  this  year  was  the 
largest  Cohoes  had  yet  seen,  and  was  entered  into  with 
great  enthusiasm.  The  second  page  of  the  Cataract  of 
June  29  was  almost  entirely  occupied  by  the  programme, 
printed  in  large  type,  from  which  the  following  extract  may 
be  made  : 

"  The  Baptist,  Presbyterian  and  Reformed  Dutch  Sunday 
Schools,  the  Boght  Sunday  School,  and  the  Sunday  School 
at  Mr.  I.  D.  F.  Lansing's,  together  with  the  Roman  Catholic 
Sunday  School,  the  Fire  Company  No.  3,  and  the  citizens 
at  large  will  celebrate  the  74th  Anniversary  of  American 
Independence  at  the  Grove  southerly  from  Prospect  Hill. 
The  several  societies  and  associations,  and  the  citizens  gene 
rally,  are  cordially  invited  to  participate  in  the  festivities. 

Mr.  Pettis  will  be  at  the  Dutch  church  with  carriages  to 
carry  the  clergy,  the  surviving  heroes  of  the  Revolution, 
teachers,  and  the  younger  scholars  to  Dickey's  Grove.  The 
remainder  of  the  scholars  and  teachers,  the  various  societies, 


1  The  question  was  again  opened  in  1863,  and  occupied  the  attention  of  the  trus 
tees  for  some  weeks.  Propositions  were  made  to  refer  the  matter  to  an  outside  party 
for  decision,  but  nothing  was  accomplished  in  this  way.  Some  of  the  1  rustees  were 
strongly  in  favor  of  suing  the  company.  This  course  was  finally  adopted,  and  the 
village  was  beaten. 


110  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1850. 

the  gentlemen  and  ladies  of  the  village,  and  all  strangers 
will  follow  the  carriages  in  procession  with  martial  music. 
The  other  schools  above  named  will  reach  the  grove  at  the 
same  time.  The  business  of  the  day  will  be  wholly  subject 
to  the  marshal  and  his  assistants. 

MARSHAL  OF  THE  DAY  — LUMAN  DOWD. 

EXERCISES. 
Prayer,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Pitcher. 

Music,  Anniversary  Hymn,  by  all  the  schools. 
Reading  of  the  Declaration,  by  Andrew  Lansing,  Esq. 
Short  Oration,  by  Henry  D.  Fuller,  Esq. 

Music. 

Poem,  by  S.  C.  Miller,  Esq. 
Hymn,  "The  Golden  Rule,"  by  all  the  schools. 
Short  Oration,  by  Chas.  H.  Adams,  Esq. 

Music. 

Short  Oration,  by  Joseph  M.  Brown,  Esq. 

Music. 

Short  Address,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Round. 
The  Long  Meter  Doxology,  by  the  audience. 
Benediction,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Waldron." 

The  refreshments  were  contributed  by  the  citizens,  and 
were  collected  under  the  direction  of  the  Committee  of  Ar 
rangements,  which  consisted  of  Wm.  H.  Hollister,  John 
Van  Santvoord,  Jacob  I.  Lansing,  Wm.  Leckie,  Stephen  H. 
Adams  and  Miles  White.  In  the  evening  a  large  display 
of  fireworks  was  made  from  Prospect  Hill,  after  which,  said 
the  Cataract,  "  the  people  were  astonished  and  gratified  at 
the  unusual  sight  of  a  balloon  ascension  by  night,"  for 
which  they  were  indebted  to  Dr.  C.  F.  Goss. 

The  question  of  extending  Remsen  street  to  Saratoga 
street  was  agitated  early  in  the  year,  and  the  heirs  of  Abram 
G.  Lansing  offered  to  give  the  land  necessary,  if  they  could 
be  released  from  assessment.  A  meeting  of  the  tax  payers, 
called  June  20th,  of  which  Egbert  Egberts  was  chairman, 


1850.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  Ill 

and  H.  L.  Landon  secretary,  decided  that  "  at  present  it 
was  inexpedient  to  open  Remsen  street  below  Newark." 
So  the  matter  rested,  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  trustees,  a 
week  or  two  later,  Newark  street  (which  had  formerly  been 
called  Lansing  street)  was  declared  opened  as  a  public 
highway. 

A  prominent  addition  to  the  manufacturing  establish 
ments  of  the  place  was  the  new  knitting  mill  (now  occupied 
by  Parsons  &  Co.),  erected  by  Egbert  Egberts  on  the 
corner  of  Factory  and  Remsen  streets.  The  building  was 
of  brick,  fifty  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  and  five  stories 
high.  The  work  was  done  mainly  by  Cohoes  mechanics,  as 
follows  :  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  architect  and  builder  ;  Wolf ord 
&  Stephenson,  masons  ;  Jacob  I.  Lansing,  wheelwright ; 
Isaac  F.  Fletcher,  marble  cutter;  and  W.  T.  Palmer,  painter. 

The  block  of  stores  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Remsen 
and  Oneida  streets,  built  by  Dr.  Carter,  was  completed 
about  the  same  time. 

An  event  destined  to  be  of  great  importance  to  the  inte 
rests  of  Cohoes  was  the  change  during  this  year  in  the 
proprietorship  of  the  Harmony  Mills.  The  career  of  the 
old  corporation  had  been  anything  but  successful.  No 
dividends  had  ever  been  paid  to  the  stockholders,  and  when 
the  company  sold  out  they  had  floating  debts  to  the 
amount  of  their  capital.  The  stock  had  changed  owners 
from  time  to  time,  until  in  the  last  years  of  its  existence 
the  management  of  the  company  was  in  almost  entirely 
different  hands.  For  some  time  the  company  had  no  resi 
dent  agent,  but  on  the  election  of  Mr  Wm.  N.  Chadwick 
as  president  in  1841,  an  effort  was  made  to  induce  him  to 
make  his  residence  here  and  supervise  the  business,  which 
he  afterward  decided  to  do.  Under  his  administration  in 
1844  additional  machinery  was  put  into  the  mill,  which  had 
previously  been  but  partly  occupied.  In  that  and  the  fol 
lowing  year  some  $64,000  were  cleared  —  all  the  money 


112  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1851. 

the  company  ever  made  —  and  it  was  of  course  needed  to 
meet  the  deficiency  of  preceding  years.  In  1846  Mr. 
Chadwick  resigned,  and  his  successor  as  president  was  Wm. 
C.  Haggerty,  who  continued  to  be  the  active  man  of  the 
concern  until  it  was  sold. 

Withjthe  advent  of  Mr.  Robert  Johnston,  however,  the 
present  superintendent,  a  new  condition  of  affairs  began, 
and  the  career  of  the  company  since  that  time  has  been  one 
of  steady  and  growing  prosperity.  Mr.  Johnston  was  born 
in  Carlisle,  England,  in  1807,  and  in  that  country  had  his 
first  training  in  cotton  manufacture.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1833,  and  was  for  a  time  connected  with  the 
Providence  Steam  Mills  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  suc 
ceeded  in  accomplishing  what  had  previously  been  thought 
impossible,  ,the  spinning  of  warps  on  mules.  Soon  after 
he  removed  to  Yalatie,  N.  Y.,  where  he  took  charge  of  the 
cotton  mill  of  Nathan  Wild,  and  it  was  at  his  suggestion 
that  Alfred  Wild,  the  son  of  his  employer,  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Garner  of  New  York,  purchased  the  Harmony  Mill.  With 
the  inauguration  of  the  new  management  the  mill  was 
greatly  improved,  and  its  capacity  increased  to  8,000 
spindles. 

An  amendment  to  the  village  charter  passed  early  in 
1851,  provided  for  the  election  of  a  police  justice,  whose 
term  of  office  was  to  be  four  years,  and  increased  the  powers 
of  the  trustees  in  several  particulars.  The  amendment  seems 
to  have  given  general  satisfaction,  and  was  thus  commented 
upon  by  the  Cataract :  "  It  will  be  seen  that  provision  is 
made  for  the  establishment  of  a  municipal  government  which 
can  effect  everything  desired  in  the  way  of  law  and  order." 
The  first  justice  under  this  act  was  Alfred  Phelps,  elected 
July  29.  At  the  regular  village  election  in  March,  the  first 
school  trustees  were  chosen,  according  to  the  act  passed  in 
1850.  On  the  organization  of  the  board,  Wm.  G.  Caw  was 
elected  president,  and  John  Van  Santvoord,  clerk.  The 


1851.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  113 

following  committees  were  appointed  :  Finance  :  Burton 
and  Parkhurst  ;  Library:  Foster  and  Caw  ;  School  houses: 
Travis  andMcGill;  Text  books:  Caw  and  Travis;  Teachers: 
Foster,  Burton  and  Caw  ;  Tuition  of  non  residents:  McGill 
and  Parkhurst;  Select  committee  for  organizing  and  grading 
schools  :  Caw,  Foster  and  McGill.  At  a  meeting  held 
April  4th,  arrangements  were  made  to  procure  further 
accommodations.  The  basement  of  the  Reformed  church 
was  hired  at  a  rental  of  $40  per  annum,  and  negotiations 
were  commenced  with  the  Messrs.  Fuller  for  the  erection 
of  a  two  story  school  house  in  Remsen  street,  the  yearly 
rent  to  be  $85.  The  teachers  were  assigned  as  follows  : 
District  "No.  9  (Harmony  Hill),  Henry  Dubois  ;  District 
No.  5  (depot  school  house),  E.  H.  Johnston  and  C.  Allen, 
Miss  Van  Schaick,  assistant  ;  District  No.  13  (state  yard 
school  house),  Mr.  Landon.  J.  M.  Brown's  store  on  Remsen 
street  was  selected  as  a  proper  place  for  keeping  the  libraries 
of  the  district  and  it  was  engaged  for  $50  per  annum,  Mr. 
Brown  to  act  as  librarian. 

In  April,  an  act  was  passed  incorporating  the  Cohoes 
Savings  Institution,  of  which  the  corporators  were:  Chas. 
A.  Olmsted,  Truman  G.  Younglove,  Egbert  Egberts,  Hugh 
White,  Daniel  Simmons,  Isaac  D.  F.  Lansing,  Henry  D. 
Fuller,  Wm.  F.  Carter,  Abraham  Lansing,  Joshua  Bailey, 
Wm.  1ST.  Chadwick,  Teunis  Van  Vechten,  Andrew  D.  Lan 
sing,  Harmon  Pumpelly,  Edward  E.  Kendrick,  Wm.  Burton, 
Joshua  R.  Clarke,  Jeremiah  Clute,  Miles  White. 

With  the  rapid  growth  of  the  place  since  its  incorporation, 
the  fire  department  was  soon  found  to  be  inadequate,  and 
it  was  accordingly  voted  at  the  annual  meeting  of  this 
year  to  purchase  a  new  engine  at  a  cost  of  $600. 

At  the  trustees'  meeting  held  Sept.  23,   a  petition  was 
presented  from  "Jacob  J.  Lansing  and  others,  mainly  per 
sons  who  were  members  of  the  Engine  Company,  known  as 
the  Parmelee  Company,  asking  to  be  organized  into  a  fire 
15 


114  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1851. 

company  under  the  authority  of  the  board."  The  prayer 
was  granted,  and  the  following  persons  were  enrolled  as. 
the  first  members  of  Engine  Company  No.  2,  afterwards 
known  as  the  Mohawk  : 

Jacob  Lansing,  foreman;  John  Fulton,  1st  assistant; 
Michael  Larkins,  2d  assistant ;  John  Doyle,  treasurer;  Win. 
Shannon,  Lewis  Wells,  J.  Eastwood,  Benjamin  Hutching, 
Malachi  Ball,  John  Henry,  John  Larkins,  Peter  Moran, 
Robert  B.  Moore,  Edward  Hitchcock,  Louis  Savoid,  Isaac 
Van  Vliet,  Isaac  F.  Ruukle,  Elihu  M.  Stevenson,  Jacob  H. 
Hallenbeck,  Patrick  Hines,  Henry  C.  Rider,  Joseph  Gould, 
Henry  Shepard,  Franklin  Waring,  Timothy  McGray,  Henry 
Brown.  In  December  the  contract  for  building  the  new 
engine  house  was  let  to  Aaron  Ferguson.  This  was  a  low 
wooden  structure,  situated  on  Mohawk  street  south  of  the 
present  Miller  House,  and  stood  directly  over  the  Cohoes 
Company's  canal. 

Since  1847,  there  had  been  a  number  of  changes  in  the 
proprietorship  of  the  public  conveyances.  The  Accommo 
dation  Stage  to  Troy  was  run  in  1848  by  J.  A.  Simons, 
in  1849  by  S.  C.  Moore  and  in  1850  by  J.  A.  Simons  until 
September  when  the  partnership  of  Simons  &  Ives  was 
formed.  The  Cohoes  and  Troy  Rail  Road  was  con 
ducted  by  C.  O.  Perham  in  1849,  and  by  John  Dearborn 
in  the  following  year,  which  was  the  last  of  its  existence 
as  a  separate  institution.  After  Nov.  1,  1850,  the  stages 
and  cars  were  combined,  under  proprietorship  of  Dearborn 
and  Ives,  and  made  hourly  trips  to  Troy.  The  Albany  Mail 
Stage  was  conducted  by  H.  N.  Pettis.  It  made  in  1849 
three  trips,  and  in  1850  two  trips,  daily  each  way.  In  the 
spring  of  1851,  both  the  Albany  and  Troy  lines  changed 
hands,  and  were  run  by  Dearborn,  Simons  &  Co.,  who  con 
tinued  in  business  until  the  stage  lines  were  abandoned, 
Mr.  Simons  being  in  later  years  sole  proprietor. 


1852.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  115 

Several  manufacturing  establishments  were  started  in 
this  year.  In  March  Thomas  Fowler  rented  the  building 
formerly  occupied  by  Timothy  Bailey,  repaired  the  damage 
done  by  the  fire,  and  put  in  knitting  machinery.  In  the 
building  in  rear  of  the  Van  Rensselaer  block  which  was 
afterwards  known  as  the  Mohawk  Mill,  Messrs.  F.  W. 
Farnam  &  Co.  established  a  factory  for  making  linen 
thread  from  American  flax,  G.  K.  White  being  manager. 
The  Cataract  of  Aug.  16th  said  :  "  The  establishment  will 
when  in  full  operation  be  the  largest  flax  manufactory  in 
the  United  States  and  the  only  one  where  the  finer  branches 
of  the  work  are  executed.  It  will  employ  300  hands  and 
consume  600  tons  of  flax  per  annum." 

Another  new  enterprise  was  the  wheel  factory  of  Messrs. 
Wightraan  &  Youmans,  established  in  a  building  erected 
for  them  on  Basin  A,  just  south  of  where  Brockway's  mill 
now  stands.  They  manufactured  omnibus  wheels  for  the 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  markets.  The  works  of  D. 
Simmons  &  Co.,  (which  had  been  enlarged  in  1845),  were 
still  further  improved  by  the  erection  of  new  buildings. 
Additions  were  also  made  to  Miles  White's  axe  factory. 
In  January,  1852,  the  partnership  between  Egberts  &  Bailey 
was  dissolved,  Mr.  Egberts  taking  the  new  or  Watervliet 
Mill,  and  Mr.  Bailey  the  mill  on  Ontario  street.  The 
latter  gentleman  organized  the  Bailey  Manufacturing 
Company,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  and  Mr.  Egberts 
transferred  his  mill  to  Chas.  H.  Adams.1  These  establish 
ments  and  Fowler's  were  until  some  years  later  the  only 
knitting  mills  in  the  place. 

The  Baptist  church,  which  had  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
Watervliet  mill,  was  demolished  when  that  structure  was 
built  in  1850.  The  society  at  once  commenced  the  erection 


JThe  Bailey  Manufacturing  Company,  of  which  the  capital  was  reduced  in  1856  to 
$50,000,  continued  in  business  till  1863,  when  the  mill  and  machinery  were  sold  to 
the  Troy  Manufacturing  Company.  Mr.  Adams  remained  proprietor  of  the  Water 
vliet  mill  until  1862. 


116  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1852. 

of  their  present  edilice  on  Mohawk  street,  foot  of  White, 
which  was  finished  in  1851,  at  a  cost  of  about  $6,000.  It 
was  dedicated  April  28th,  1852,  the  sermon  being  preached 
by  Rev.  Dr.  Warren,  of  Troy.  Addresses  were  also  de 
livered  in  the  afternoon  and  evening  by  Revs.  G.  C.  Bald 
win,  of  Troy,  and  II.  G.  Day,  of  Schenectady.  The  music 
was  under  direction  of  Lester  Allen. 

A  number  of  public  improvements  had  been  made  of  late 
in  the  village,  and  newspaper  complaints  about  sidewalks 
and  railings  became  less  frequent.  New  grades  were  estab 
lished  for  Remsen,  Oneida  and  other  important  streets,  and 
Canal  (now  Main),  Canvass  White  (now  Canvass),  and 
Howard  streets,  were  opened  as  public  highways.  Street 
lamps,  which  had  long  been  needed,  were  placed  by  several 
citizens  in  front  of  their  dwellings,  the  example  having  been 
set  by  Miles  White.  Sidewalks  were  laid  in  many  parts  of 
the  village  and  the  Cohoes  Company's  water  course  on 
Ontario  street,  which  had  previously  been  crossed  by  a 
wooden  bridge  at  Remsen  street,  was  covered  at  that  point 
by  a  substantial  stone  arch. 

In  October,  the  block  known  as  the  Van  Rensselaer  House 
was  torn  down  by  its  owners,  the  Cohoes  Company.  The 
existence  of  quicksands  under  the  foundation  of  the  struc 
ture  rendered  it  unsafe,  and  as  tenants  were  with  difficulty 
induced  to  occupy  it,  the  investment  had  never  been  pro 
fitable.  The  first  proprietor  was  J.  H.  Crane,  of  Schenec 
tady,  who  sold  in  1849  to  John  Parker,  who  continued  in 
business  little  more  than  a  year,  and  was  then  sold  out  by 
the  sheriff.  The  arrangement  of  the  ground  floor  of  the 
building  was  similar  to  that  of  the  present  Johnston 
block  ;  the  bar-room  was  in  the  corner  corresponding  to 
that  now  occupied  by  A.  M.  Harmon's  store  ;  next  to  that 
was  the  main  entrance,  north  of  which  were  three  stores. 
A  brick  block  three  stories  high  was  built  on  the  site. 
Cohoes  during  this  year  was  rather  quiet,  if  we  may  judge 


1853.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  117 

by  the  local  columns  of  the  paper.  In  December  con 
siderable  excitement  was  caused  by  the  failure  of  Miles 
White,  with  liabilities  of  nearly  $200,000,  which  threw  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  out  of  employment.  This  was  the 
first  failure  which  had  seriously  affected  the  place,  and 
afforded  material  for  discussion  for  some  time. 

During  1853,  however,  there  was  no  lack  of  subjects  for 
local  comment.  Early  in  the  year  the  rail  road  from  Albany, 
work  on  which  had  been  for  some  time  in  progress,  was  com 
pleted.  As  before  mentioned,  several  companies  which  had 
been  organized  were  unable  to  make  any  progress  with  the 
enterprise,  and  the  people  began  to  believe  it  was  never  to 
be  carried  out,  but  when,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Albany 
Northern  Rail  Road  Company,  the  contracts  were  actually 
let,  the  prospect  was  more  reassuring,  and  the  satisfaction 
was  general.  The  last  rail  was  laid  March  24th,  and  busi 
ness  could  have  been  then  commenced  but  the  bridge  was 
not  completed.  The  Cataract  commented  as  follows  :  "  The 
rails  having  fairly  been  laid  as  far  as  the  station  house  it 
may  be  safely  affirmed  that  this  old-new  road  is  completed 
from  Albany  to  Cohoes.  Having  struggled  on  under  a 
hundred  unfortunate  accidents  and  been  a  laughing  stock 
for  years,  it  seems  almost  incredible  that  it  has  at  last 
accomplished  the  original  task." 

The  station-house,  which  was  described  as  "  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  state,"  had  been  completed  in  the  previous  De 
cember.  A  trial  trip  was  made  as  far  as  Cohoes,  April  9. 
Two  days  afterward  the  road  was  formally  opened.  The 
afternoon  train  from  Albany  brought  the  president  and  di 
rectors  of  the  road,  and  several  prominent  citizens,  and  was 
received  here  with  ringing  of  bells  and  firing  of  cannon. 
The  party  was  met  by  the  board  of  trustees  and  a  large 
number  of  citizens.  T.  G.  Younglove,  on  behalf  of  the 
trustees,  made  the  following  address: 

"  Gentlemen  :  In  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Cohoes,  we 


118  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  J853. 

welcome  you  and  congratulate  you,  that  by  patience,  per 
severance  and  energy  a  long  desired  object  has  been  ac 
complished.  The  snorting  and  puffing  of  the  iron  horse  in 
our  streets,  mingling  as  it  does  with  the  roar  of  our  cataract, 
the  sound  of  our  hammers,  the  ring  of  our  anvils,  and  the 
hum  of  our  spindles,  is  an  era  in  our  history  which  we  too, 
gladly  receive  congratulation  for,  and  we  say  to  you  that 
we  not  only  congratulate  you,  but  we  congratulate  ourselves, 
and  rejoice  in  the  increased  facilities  you  have  given  us  for 
sending  to  market  more  than  one  and  a  half  millions  of  dol 
lars  —  the  annual  product  of  our  labor  and  our  capital.  We 
rejoice,  then,  in  the  establishment  of  this  new  connecting 
link  between  our  embryo,  and  your  venerable  city.  I  think 
I  may  say  without  exaggeration  that  our  water  power  when 
its  locality  and  extent  are  taken  into  account  is  the  most 
valuable  in  the  United  States.  We  have  the  power  to  drive 
all  your  manufacturing  establishments,  even  to  your  print 
ing  presses,  and  we  will  do  it  provided  you  give  us  the 
chance.  Who  can  say  that  in  the  progress  of  the  arts  and 
manufactures,  Cohoes  may  not  be  a  great  center  of  in 
dustrial  pursuits,  annually  sending  forth  her  products,  to 
enrich  and  comfort  thousands  nay,  even  millions  of  the  in 
habitants  of  the  earth  ?  But  I  have  digressed.  Do  not  mis 
take  the  roar  and  din  you  hear  around  you  for  any  other 
than  that  of  friendly  and  cordial  greeting.  Even  the  waters 
of  the  Mohawk  join  in  our  greetings  to  you.  Again  I  say, 
we  welcome  y'ou." 

Robert  H.  Pruyn,  one  of  the  directors,  replied  on  behalf 
of  the  company.  Speeches  were  also  made  by  Judge 
Cheever,  Mr.  Wasson,  and  Col.  J.  W.  Miller.  After  the 
excursionists  had  visited  the  Falls,  the  factories  and  other 
objects  of  interest,  they  assembled  at  the  Cohoes  Hotel, 
where,  said  the  Cataract,  "  an  ample  and  handsome  colla 
tion  was  prepared  which  was  thoroughly  taken  care  of,  and 
which  prompted  a  pleasant  interchange  of  sentiment  on  the 
part  of  those  present." 

The  regular  trains  commenced  running  at  once,  eight 
daily  between  here  and  Albany,  and  were  well  patronized. 
An  Albany  paper  of  the  16  inst.  said  :  "The  Cohoes  fac 
tories  were  to-day  closed,  in  order  to  afford  the  female 


1853.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  119 

operatives  an  opportunity  to  visit  Albany  by  the  new  rail 
road,  which  they  availed  themselves  of  in  great  numbers." 
The  first  ticket  agent  at  this  station  was  Chas.  T.  Carter. 

The  Cohoes  Gas  Light  Company  was  organized  in  January 
under  the  general  law,  and  had  its  buildings  ready  to  com 
mence  operations  in  July.1  The  capital  of  the  company 
was  $50,000  and  the  first  officers  were  T.  G.  Younglove, 
president,  R.  Merrifield,  secretary.  The  other  trustees 
were  Egbert  Egberts,  H.  D.  Fuller,  W.  F.  Carter,  J.  Bailey, 
H.  Pumpelly  and  J.  Battin. 

On  August  15th,  the  Cohoes  Savings  Institution,  which 
had  been  incorporated  some  time  before,  commenced  to  re 
ceive  deposits  at  the  office,  which  was  on  Remsen  street 
near  Oneida,  in  the  store  at  present  occupied  by  Win.  Bell, 
dry  goods  dealer.  The  officers  were,  Egbert  Egberts^  presi 
dent  ;  W.  F.  Carter,  vice  president ;  Truman  G.  Younglove, 
tseasurer  ;  Edward  W.  Fuller,  assistant  treasurer. 

Several  articles  were  published  in  the  local  paper  during 
the  year  on  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  place,  which 
indicated  a  fair  degree  of  prosperity. 

There  were  three  knitting  mills,  run  respectively  by  the 
Bailey  Manufacturing  Company,  C.  H.  Adams,  and  G.  Steer, 
agent  for  Thomas  Fowler.  They  employed  750  hands,  and 
produced  45,000  dozen  goods  annually.  The  production  of 
the  cotton  mills  was  as  follows: 

Harmony  Mills,         2,652,000  yards  per  annum. 
Ogden  Mills,  4,090,000       "      "         " 

Strong     "  800,000       "       "         " 

The  total  number  of  hands  employed  was  about  800. 

In  October  a  new  mill  was  completed  by  the  Harmony 
Company,  adjoining  their  first  building.  It  was  274  by  75 


1  These  works,  which  were  on  Sargent  street,  continued  in  use  until  1869,  when 
the  company  needed  more  room,  and  erected  the  buildings  occupied  by  them  at 
present  on  the  east  side  of  the  Champlain  Canal,  the  producing  capacity  of  which  is 
250,000  cubic  feet  per  day,  five  times  that  of  the  old  works. 


120  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1853. 

feet  and  five  stories  high,  with  an  L,  50  by  75  feet,  which 
made  the  dimensions  of  the  whole  building  493  by  75  feet. 

Other  establishments  described  were  Simmons's  axe  fac 
tory,  Hurst's  worsted  mill,  the  Cohoes  Iron  Foundery  (then 
superintended  by  Joshua  R.  Clarke),  the  bedstead  factory 
of  Parkhursts  &  Fullers  (formerly  O.  &  D.  Parkhurst), 
Wightman  &  Youraan's  wheel  factory,  Burton's  veneering 
mill,  Peck's  sash  and  blind  factory,  and  John  Baker's  bob 
bin  factory,  situated  in  the  same  building.  There  were  also 
several  new  firms.  The  Mohawk  Mill,  Samuel  Bilbrough 
proprietor,  and  Win.  Baxter  superintendent,  which  had  been 
established  the  previous  year,  was  located  in  the  building 
formerly  used  as  Farnam's  thread  factory, '  and  employed 
one  hundred  hands,  producing  500,000  pounds  of  carpet 
warp  and  fine  yarns  per  year.  The  Novelty  Works, 
Joseph  Haskins  proprietor,  were  in  the  same  building  and 
employed  twenty-five  hands  in  the  manufacture  of  twine. 
This  concern  soon  afterward  failed  and  Mr.  Bilbrough  took 
possession  of  the  entire  building.  On  Courtland  street, 
east  of  Mohawk,  a  tobacco  and  cigar  factory  employing 
fifty  hands  was  established  by  D.  Cady  Hollister  &  Co., 
and  in  the  Miles  White  axe  factory  building  on  Mohawk 

street,  a  woolen  mill  commenced  operations, Hartness 

proprietor,  and  Jonathan  Hiller  superintendent. 

A  cotton  flax  mill  on  Ontario  street,  near  the  site  of 
Brockway's  Mill  had  been  erected  in  the  Spring  by  Bailey, 
Payson  and  Younglove.  It  was  burned  in  October,  however, 
at  a  loss  of  $6000,  before  operations  had  been  fairly  com 
menced. 

The  flourishing  state  of  business  was  commented  upon  as 
follows  by  the  Cataract  : 

11  In  proportion  to  its  size,  there  is  probably  no  place  in 
the  state  of  greater  enterprise  or  business  capacity  than  the 


1  After  remaining  in  operation  a  short  time  this  establishment  had  been  removed 
to  Mechanicsville. 


1853.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  121 

village  of  Cohoes.  To  strangers,  the  statistics,  if  they  could 
be  obtained,  would  seem  incredible,  and  would  undoubtedly 
be  thought  exaggerated  even  by  citizens.  When  we  con 
sider  that  it  is  scarcely  more  than  ten  years  since  this  place 
was  little  better  than  a  wilderness,  the  wonder  becomes  still 
greater,  and  forces  upon  the  mind  the  conviction  that  in 
half,  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  century,  Cork  Hill  and  Codfish 
Flats  will  be  near  the  centre  of  a  large  and  wealthy  city." 

The  changes  of  time  were  thus  spoken  of  in  the  issue  of 
Oct.  1: 

"  Our  village  is  not  old  enough  to  have  an  extended  history 
but  we  must  confess  our  surprise  in  looking  over  a  copy  of 
the  Advertiser,  published  in  1847,  to  note  the  changes  which 
time  has  wrought  in  this  village  even  in  so  short  time.  Of 
all  the  persons  and  firms  advertising  their  business  in  the 
place  there  are  but  six  who  are  now  residing  here  and  con 
tinuing  the  same  business.  Many  have  moved  away,  some 
have  changed  their  avocations,  and  many  have  gone  to  that 
bourne  whence  no  traveler  returns.  And  this  is  only  six 
years,  but  yesterday  !" 

The  Young  Men's  Association,  before  referred  to,  was  in 
flourishing  condition  this  year.  The  lecture  committee, 
consisting  of  Wm.  Manning,  T.  C.  Carter,  and  Win.  G. 
Caw,  provided  an  excellent  course,  which  was  well  supported. 
Among  the  speakers  of  the  season  were  Profs.  John  Foster, 
Lowell  Mason,  and  L.  N.  Fowler,  Hon.  Ira  Harris,  Isaac 
Edwards  Esq.,  and  Mrs.  E.  Oakes  Smith. 

Among  the  chief  topics  of  public  interest  was  the  Free 
Bridge  question,  which  occupied  a  large  share  of  the  local 
columns  of  the  Cataract  for  some  months.  The  Waterford 
bridge,  together  with  the  residence  of  the  gate  keeper,  Mr. 
Bonce,  was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire  March  13th.  A  meet 
ing  was  soon  afterward  called,  of  which  T.  G.  Younglove 
was  president  and  John  Fulton  secretary,  to  take  measures 
for  the  construction  of  a  free  bridge,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  confer  with  the  legislature  on  the  subject. 
Considerable  difficulty  was  experienced  in  procuring  the 
passage  of  a  suitable  bill,  as  it  was  held  by  some  parties 
16 


122  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1854. 

that  the  state  should  construct  nothing  but  a  towing  path 
bridge.  Arrangements  were  finally  concluded,  however,  by 
which  the  state  was  to  build  the  main  body  of  the  bridge, 
and  be  entitled  to  the  right  of  a  towing  path,  while  the  piers 
and  abutments  were  to  be  paid  for  by  subscriptions  from 
the  citizens  of  Cohoes  and  vicinity.  The  contract  was  let 
in  January,  1854,  to  Messrs.  Smith  and  Bogue. 

In  the  Cataract  of  May  20,  at  which  time  the  bridge  was 
nearly  completed  it  was  stated  that  "  a  large  meeting  of  the 
friends  of  a  free  bridge  across  the  Mohawk  at  this  place 
was  held  this  week,  pursuant  to  a  call  of  the  citizens  of 
Cohoes  and  Waterford,  at  the  house  of  David  Lamb  of  the 
latter  place.  Moses  Bedell  was  appointed  to  solicit  sub 
scriptions  in  Saratoga  County,  and  Adam  Van  Der  Werken 
to  perform  the  same  duties  in  the  county  of  Albany.  John 
Fulton,  Esq.,  of  Waterford  was  appointed  treasurer."  The 
bridge  was  completed  so  that  wagons  passed  over  on  the 
4th  of  July.  It  cost  originally  about  $25,000  and  $15,000 
more  were  afterward  expended  in  repairs. 

Another  matter  frequently  discussed  in  the  newspaper  at 
that  time  (and  in  fact  at  intervals  ever  since)  was  the  bad  con 
dition  of  the  cemetery.  This  first  received  public  attention 
at  the  annual  meeting  in  1852,  when  on  motion  of  Mr.  H. 
D.  Fuller  $400  were  voted  for  purchasing  and  improving 
the  grounds.  No  action  was  taken  until  the  following  year, 
when  at  the  citizen's  meeting  held  March  3d,  it  was  re 
solved,  "  that  a  committee  be  appointed  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  selection  of  grounds  suitable  for  a  village  ceme 
tery,  said  committee  to  consist  of  one  person  from  each  of 
the  religious  congregations  of  the  village,  and  two  from 
the  village  at  large."  The  report  of  this  committee  was 
published  in  the  Cataract,  from  which  the  following  extract 
is  taken  :  "  They  report  that  the  wooded  land  south  of  Mr. 
Gage's,  and  belonging  to  Douw  A.  Fonda,  can  be  purchased 
with  right  of  way  included  for  $200  per  acre  and  is  a  very 


1854.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  123 

desirable  location  ;  that  the  present  grounds  can  be  ob 
tained  of  the  Cohoes  Company  for  $100,  and  about  eight 
acres  north  of  and  adjoining  them  can  be  purchased  for 
$150  per  acre.  The  committee  recommend  the  purchase  of 
the  former  in  case  the  village  wishes  to  expend  five  or  six 
thousand  dollars  in  clearing  and  beautifying  the  grounds, 
but  if  not,  then  they  recommend  the  latter  and  say  that  the 
judicious  expenditure  of  $400,  in  improving  the  old  ceme 
tery,  will  make  it  a  very  good  place."  Nothing  was  done 
after  this  report  until  1854,  when  the  condition  of  the 
cemetery  became  so  bad  as  to  call  forth  the  severest  com 
ments.  At  the  annual  meeting  a  further  appropriation  of 
$300  was  voted,  and  the  following  resolutions  passed  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  village  accept  the  offer  of  T.  G. 
Younglove  in  behalf  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  of  the  ceme 
tery  grounds  as  a  gift  to  the  village  by  said  Cohoes  Com 
pany  for  a  merely  nominal  sum. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  village  be  tendered 
to  the  Cohoes  Company  for  their  liberality  in  bestowing  the 
cemetery  grounds  to  the  village  of  Cohoes." 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  superintend  the  improve 
ments,  consisting  of  Egbert  Egberts,  H.  D.  Fuller,  H.  B. 
Silliman,  Jacob  Travis  and  Matthew  Fitzpatrick. 

During  the  winter  of  1853-54  the  foundation  was  laid 
for  the  establishment  of  the  Harmony  Hill  Union  Sabbath 
School,  an  institution  which  has  since  been  the  means  of 
doing  great  good  in  the  place.  It  was  organized  originally  as 
a  branch  of  the  Baptist  Sunday  School  with  Jas.  Lansing  as 
superintendent.  The  first  regular  election  was  held  May  7, 
1854,  and  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Stephen  Slocum  as  superin 
tendent.  At  this  meeting  the  total  attendance  was  eighteen, 
as  follows  —  four  officers,  three  teachers,  eleven  scholars. 

On  July  8,  the  Strong  Mill  was  burned.  The  original 
building,  together  with  an  addition  of  about  the  same  size 
which  was  nearly  completed,  was  almost  entirely  destroyed^ 
Some  of  the  machinery  and  most  of  the  stock  was  saved, 


124  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1854. 

the  entire  loss  not  exceeding  $16,000.  One  person  was 
killed  and  several  seriously  injured  by  the  falling  of  a  wall 
during  the  progress  of  the  fire. 

The  growth  of  the  village  continued  to  be  rapid,  and 
preparations  were  made  for  a  number  of  new  business  enter 
prises.  Among  the  buildings  erected  for  manufacturing 
purposes  were  the  bedstead  factory  of  Jeremiah  Clute  on 
Mohawk  street  (on  the  site  of  Campbell  &  Clute's  block)  ; 
the  flouring  mill  of  J.  M.  Hayward,  corner  of  Remsen  and 
Ontario  streets,  into  which  Mr.  H.  moved  from  the  Baldwin 
machine  shop,  and  the  rolling  mill  (now  Morrison,  Colwell  & 
Page's),  built  by  Mr.  Simmons.  The  Cataract  commented 
as  follows  on  the  improvements  of  the  year: 

"  IN  THREE  YEARS  Colioes  may  apply  for  a  city  charter. 
The  present  population  cannot  be  far  from  6,000,  and  when 
the  factories  now  in  progress  get  into  operation  it  will  pro 
bably  go  up  to  10,000.  About  100  dwellings  will  be  erected 
during  the  season,  and  rumor  is  busy  about  several  other 
large  manufacturing  establishments.  Hundreds  of  thou 
sands  of  dollars  are  being  invested  here  which  cannot  but 
prove  profitable  to  the  owners  and  give  our  village  an  im 
pulse  such  as  she  has  never  before  received." 


1855.  HISTORY  OF  COIIOES.  125 


VII. 

1855  TO   1860. 

J_HE  census  of  1855  showed  that  the  population  of 
Oohoes  had  been  trebled  within  the  past  decade.  The  re 
sults  of  this  began  now  to  be  shown  in  a  demand  for  further 
improvements,  for  a  different  organization  of  the  local  go 
vernment,  and  numerous  other  changes  made  necessary  by 
the  increased  size  of  the  village.  For  the  next  few  years 
the  steady  growth  of  the  place  was  manifested  not  so  much 
by  a  large  influx  of  new  inhabitants,  but  by  constant  addi 
tions  to  its  wealth,  business  importance  and  material  im 
provements. 

An  act  was  passed  May  1 2th  which  amended  the  charter 
in  several  important  particulars.  The  village  was  divided 
into  three  wards;  provision  was  made  for  the  election  of 
the  presidents  of  the  village  and  board  of  education,  from 
the  village  at  large;  two  trustees  from  each  ward  were  to 
be  voted  for  at  the  first  election,  one  for  the  term  of  one, 
and  the  other  for  two  years,  and  at  each  annual  election 
thereafter  one  was  to  be  elected  to  hold  two  years  ;  in  the 
same  manner  two  school  commissioners  from  each  ward 
were  to  be  chosen;  the  school  law  of  1850  was  repealed 
and  a  new  one  enacted,  similar  in  its  provisions  ;  the  levy 
ing  of  a  poll  tax  for  school  purposes  was  directed,  new 
powers  and  duties  were  assigned  to  the  trustees,  and  several 
minor  changes  in  regard  to  the  duties  of  village  officials 
were  made.  The  first  election  under  the  act  was  to  be  held 
on  the  third  Tuesday  of  April,  in  the  following  year. 

Since  the  passage  of  the  act  of  1850,  the  schools  of  the 
village  had  been  greatly  improved.  At  times  there  was 
discussion  or  complaint  about  some  objectionable  feature, 
but  the  system  on  the  whole  was  better  than  those  in  vogue 


126  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1855. 

elsewhere.  The  following,  published  in  the  Albany  Knicker 
bocker  in  January,  shows  how  its  workings  were  regarded 
in  neighboring  cities: 

"  The  advantage  of  having  our  public  schools  entirely 
free  is  shown  by  the  experience  of  Cohoes.  Under  the  part 
pay  system  the  number  of  pupils  who  attended  school  was 
less  than  four  hundred.  At  present  it  is  over  eight  hundred. 
This  fact  should  not  be  lost  on  the  legislature.  It  shows 
that  what  is  done  in  Cohoes,  should  be  done  in  every  town 
in  the  state." 

Besides  the  schools  under  control  of  the  village  there 
were  also  in  operation  the  parish  school  connected  with  St. 
John's  church,  and  a  private  school  under  the  direction  of 
Rev.  Stephen  Bush,  who  erected  a  building  for  the  purpose 
on  Mohawk  street  near  the  foot  of  Seneca  street.1 

The  following  list  of  the  village  schools  and  teachers  for 
this  year,  compared  with  that  of  1851,  shows  the  extent  of 
the  improvements  in  educational  facilities  : 

"  Brick  School  House  (Oneida  street).  Mr.  H.  B.  Thayer, 
Miss  M.  Hildreth,  Miss  A.  Caldwell,  Miss  Van  Der  Werken. 

Catholic  Church.  Mr.  J.  Eccles,  Miss  L.  Goffe,  Miss  E. 
Brooks. 

Dutch  Church.     Miss  M.  Henderson. 

Egberts'  House  (Columbia  street.-)  Mr.  R.  Thompson, 
Miss  L.  Benedict,  Miss  L.  Van  Schaick,  Miss  Moe. 

Red  School  Housed     Miss  M.  Jefferson. 

East  Harmony  Hill*     Miss  Caroline  Brown. 

West  Harmony  Hill.     Miss  S.  H.  Bannard." 


1  It  afterward  came  under  control  of  the  board  of  education.    It  was  in  1861  re 
moved  to  a  lot  just  north  of  the  Reformed  church,  and  was  destroyed  in  1873. 

2  This  was  a  building  belonging  to  Mr.  Egberts  on  the  corner  of  Columbia  and 

Main  streets,  which  had  been  erected  some  years  before  by  Craudell.    It  stood 

near  the  site  of  the  present  brick  school  house  which  was  erected  soon  afterward. 
The  original  building  was  for  some  time  rented  as  a  tenement. 

3  These  buildings  were  erected  during  1854  and  '55.    The  first  was  on  School 
street,  near  the  site  of  the  present  school  house,  for  which  it  was  exchanged  with 
the  Harmony  Company.    The  second  was  on  Vliet  street  near  Willow.    Previous 
to  its  erection  the  only  school  house  on  the  Harmony  Hill  was  an  old  wooden 
building  nearly  opposite,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  boarding  houses.    The 
West  Harmony  School  House  remained  in  use  until  1863,  when  it  was  sold,  the 
building  on  Mangam  street  now  in  use  having  been  completed. 


1855.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  127 

The  erection  during  the  year  of  a  large  number  of  dwell 
ings  and  several  buildings  for  manufacturing  purposes,  gave 
further  evidence  of  the  growth  of  the  place.  The  Cataract 
said  :  "  There  has  not  been  a  season  for  several  years  when 
business  was  as  promising  in  Cohoes  as  this  spring."  Promi 
nent  among  the  new  business  concerns  were  The  Mohawk 
River  Mills  on  Remsen  street.  The  company,  of  which 
Joshua  Bailey  was  president,  had  been  organized  in  March 
of  the  previous  year,  with  a  capital  of  $150,000.  Their 
building,  350  by  75  feet  and  four  stories  high,  was  described 
as  the  largest  knitting  mill  in  the  world,  and  cost  with 
the  machinery  $120,000.  The  company  employed  600  hands 
and  operated  eleven  sets  of  machinery. l 

Another  new  firm  was  the  Albany  Pin  Company,  also 
incorporated  in  1854,  with  a  capital  of  $35,000.  The 
officers  were  L.  S.  Parsons,  president ;  Louis  Spanier, 
treasurer  ;  C.  W.  Bender,  secretary.  The  company  manu 
factured  solid  headed  pins,  using  twenty-seven  machines.2 

In  March  the  knitting  mill  of  Thomas  Fowler  was  bought 
by  J.  G.  Root  of  Albany,  who,  with  L.  S.  Parsons  established 
the  Tivoli  Hosiery  Mill,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  G.  Root 
&  Co.  Mr.  Egberts  erected  the  buildings  on  Remsen 
street  now  known  as  the  Diamond  and  Globe  Mills, 


1  In  July,  1859,  the  name  of  the  establishment  was  changed  to   Clifton  Mills 
and  a  new  company  was  formed,  of  which  A.  E.  Stimson  of  Albany  was  the  princi 
pal  stockholder,  and  Winsor  Stone  ;agent.    In  Oct.,  1861,  the  Clifton  Company 
was  organized  with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  the  officers  being  as  follows :  president, 
T.  G.  Younglove ;  treasurer  and  general  manager,  A.  E.  Stimson ;  secretary,  E. 
L.  Stimson.    The  company  suffered  reverses  in  the  late  panic,  and  the  busines 
was  discontinued  in  Oct.  1875. 

2  This  establishment  was  in  June,  1862,  sold  to  T.  G.  Younglove,  having  been 
idle  over  a  year.    In  August,  he  sold  to  Arthur  T .  Becker,  who  commenced  opera 
tions  at  once,  Robert  Johnston  becoming  a  partner  soon  after.    Mr.  Johnston  sold 
his  interest  in  Nov.,  1863,  to  Heber  T.  Lyon.    This  firm  was  succeeded  June,  1865, 
by  the  American  Pin  Company,  and  Cohoes  Pin  Company,  followed  later  by  the 
Empire  Pin  Company  of  which  E.  S.  &  W.  H.  Harris  of  Albany,  were  principal 
proprietors,  and  G.  M.  Morris,  superintendent.    The  business  was  in  1874  removed 
to  Winsted,  Conn.,  and  the  new  building  of  the  company  on  Courtland  street  sold 
to  Tubbs  &  Severson  in  May  1876. 


128  HISTORY  OF  COIIOES.  1855. 

the  middle  one  of  which  was  occupied  by  the  Pin  Company, 
and  also  by  Root  &  Co.  who  still  retained  possession 
however,  of  the  old  Fowler  Mill. 

Another  knitting  mill,  the  Halcyon,  was  established  by 
Barber  and  Leckie  in  a  building  on  Ontario  street  which 
has  since  become  part  of  Brockway's  Mill.  This  building 
was  erected  at  the  same  time  as  the  Mohawk  River  Mills 
and  had  been  used  among  other  purposes  as  a  shop  for  the 
construction  of  some  of  the  machinery  of  the  mill.1 

The  census  of  this  year  gave  the  following  statement  of 
Cohoes  industries  : 

6  Knitting  mills,  value  of  product, $647   100 

2 a  Cotton  factories,   C18  000 

1  Axe  and  edge  tool  factory, 210  000 

2  Bedstead  factories, 45  000 

1  Veneering  factory,  42  000 

2  Mills, 28  000 

1  Machine  shop  and  foundry, 34  200 

1  Tobacco  factory, 21  450 

1  Shoddy  mill, 21   840 

1  Wheel  factory, 9  000 

1  Straw  paper  factory, 9  000 

1  Bobbin  factory, 6  000 

Among  the  improvements  made  necessary  by  the  growth 
of  the  place  was  a  new  system  of  water  works.  On  April 
10th  a  bill  was  passed  incorporating  the  Cohoes  Water 
Works  Company,  of  which  Alfred  Wild  was  president.  The 
following  were  named  as  commissioners  :  Chas.  M.  Jenkins, 
Hugh  White,  Alfred  Wild,  Egbert  Egberts,  Jas.  Brown, 
Joshua  Bailey,  Wm.  N.  Chadwick,  Wm.  Burton,  Henry  D. 
Fuller,  Andrew  D.  Lansing,  Jenks  Brown  and  Truman  G. 


1  In  1857,  this  firm  was  succeeded  by  the  Halcyon  Knitting  Company,  and  the 
business  removed  to  the  new  factory  on  Erie  street. 

2  The  Strong  mill  was  rebuilt  during  the  year,  but  did  not  commence  operations 
till  1857. 


1855.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  129 

Younglove.  By  the  terms  of  the  charter  the  capital  stock 
was  $50,000,  which  might  be  increased  to  $250,000.  The 
company  was  authorized  to  make  agreements  with  the 
Cohoes  Company  for  the  use  of  water  or  the  purchase  of 
its  works,  and  the  latter  corporation  was  authorized  to  take 
stock  in  the  water  works  company  to  an  amount  not  exceed 
ing  $20,000. 

The  subscription  books  were  opened  in  August.  Mr. 
James  Slade  was  employed  as  engineer  to  make  estimates 
on  the  cost  of  a  new  reservoir  and  reported  as  follows  : 
"A  reservoir  on  Prospect  Hill,  of  a  size  to  contain  1,000,000 
gallons  of  water,  will  cost  $12,507,  exclusive  of  the  land  and 
earth  of  which  the  banks  may  be  built.  The  hill  belonging 
to  Mr.  Lansing  (Abraham),  near  lock  No.  17,  Erie  Canal, 
contains  8  acres.  A  reservoir  on  this  hill  to  contain 
3,000,000  gallons  of  water  will  cost  $12,727,  exclusive  of 
the  land."  ' 

Some  dissatisfaction  arose  among  the  citizens  in  regard 
to  the  organization  of  this  company.  The  opinion  of  many 
was  that  the  water  works  should  be  the  property  of  the 
village,  and  not  of  any  private  corporation.  Out  of  respect 
for  this  feeling  against  a  monopoly,  the  project  was  aban 
doned,  no  active  steps  having  as  yet  been  taken.  The 
pressing  necessity  of  having  a  more  adequate  water  supply 
still  remained,  however,  and  demanded  immediate  action. 
A  new  plan  was  accordingly  set  on  foot,  which  resulted  in 
the  preparation,  early  in  1856,  of  the  first  draft  of  the  "  Act 
to  provide  for  a  supply  of  water  in  the  village  of  Cohoes," 
still  in  force.  The  commissioners  named  in  the  bill  were  Alfred 
Wild,  Chas.  H.  Adams,  Henry  D.  Fuller,  Wm.  F.  Carter, 


1  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  one  of  the  projects  for  supplying  Albany  with  water, 
which  were  submitted  by  F.  S.  Claxton,  engineer,  to  the  authorities  of  that  city  in 
1849,  embraced  the  idea  of  a  reservoir  on  Prospect  Hill.  The  water  was  to  be 
raised  from  the  Cohoes  Company's  canals  to  a  reservoir  on  the  hill  which  was  to 
cover  two  acres  of  ground,  and  to  be  thence  conveyed  to  the  distributing  reservoir 
in  Albany,  by  means  of  an  indestructible  pipe  three  feet  in  diameter. 

17 


130  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1857. 

Joshua  Bailey  and  Truman  G.  Younglove.  They  were 
authorized  to  take  all  necessary  steps  for  securing  an  abund 
ant  and  reliable  supply  of  water,  and  to  meet  their  expen 
ditures  the  trustees  were  authorized  to  issue  the  bonds  of 
the  village  to  an  amount  not  exceeding  $60,000  ;  the  com 
missioners  were  directed  to  purchase  the  pipes  and  hydrants 
belonging  to  the  Cohoes  Company,  and  then  in  use,  and 
were  authorized  if  they  found  best,  to  enter  into  arrange 
ments  for  a  supply  of  water  from  the  company's  canals. 
The  bill  at  first  met  with  some  opposition  and  a  meeting  was 
called  March  13  to  remonstrate  against  its  introduction.  The 
chief  objections  urged  were  in  regard  to  the  term  of  office 
of  the  commissioners,  the  appraisal  of  lands,  and  the  manner 
of  letting  contracts.  Chas.  H.  Adams  addressed  the  meet 
ing  in  favor  of  the  measure,  and  satisfactorily  explained 
some  of  the  obnoxious  passages,  and  after  the  appointment 
of  a  committee  to  hear  arguments  for  and  against  it,  an 
adjournment  was  moved.  The  committee  reported  the 
following  week  in  favor  of  the  passage  of  the  bill,  which 
had  been  amended  in  several  particulars,  and  a  resolution 
was  passed  urging  its  presentation.  It  was  passed  April 
12th,  but  new  difficulties  arose,  which  prevented  the  com 
mencement  of  any  work  until  the  following  year. 

The  chief  obstacle  was  a  disagreement  between  the  com 
missioners  and  the  Cohoes  Company,  which  asked  $6,000 
for  its  works,  as  established,  while  the  commissioners  pro 
posed  to  pay  but  $3,000.  The  company's  reason  for  asking 
$6,000,  was  that  under  the  new  arrangement  it  would  be 
obliged  to  pay  for  the  use  of  water  in  its  works  which  it 
was  then  drawing  from  its  own  canals,  a  sum  equal  to  the 
interest  on  that  amount.  An  understanding  was  reached 
in  May,  1857,  and  the  agreement  between  the  parties  was 
drawn  up  and  signed  by  the  representative  of  the  company. 
A  number  of  citizens  objected,  however,  claiming  that  the 
village  could  be  supplied  with  water  at  cheaper  rates,  and 


1857.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  131 

another  series  of  public  meetings  followed.  A  committee, 
consisting  of  I.  F.  Fletcher,  J.  F.  Crawford,  D.  J.  Johnston, 
I.  Quackenbush,  Wm.  Burton,  H.  B.  Silliman  and  G.  L. 
Witbeck,  was  appointed  to  investigate  the  subject.  Upon 
the  presentation  of  their  report  June  27th,  which  stated  that 
the  best  course  was  to  fall  back  on  the  proposal  of  the  Co- 
hoes  Company,  the  matter  was  arranged  without  further 
controversy.  The  other  plans  which  the  committee  had 
considered  were  :  1st,  to  purchase  a  water  privilege  in 
Crescent,  and  distribute  directly  from  thence  ;  2d,  to  pur 
chase  the  mill  privilege  owned  by  L  D.  F.  Lansing  near 
the  Cohoes  Company's  dam  ;  both  of  which  would  entail  an 
expense  far  exceeding  the  price  asked  by  the  Cohoes  Com 
pany  for  its  works,  and  water  rent.  Work  was  accordingly 
commenced  on  the  new  reservoir  at  once,  and  the  contract 
was  let  in  July.  The  ceremony  of  breaking  ground  took 
place  August  13,  and  was  thus  spoken  of  in  the  Cataract: 
"The  water  commissioners  and  village  trustees  together 
with  a  large  number  of  citizens  were  present,  each  trying 
his  hand  at  the  plow.  After  the  ceremonies  on  the  grounds, 
the  company  was  invited  by  Mr.  L.  Van  Dercar,  the  con 
tractor,  to  partake  of  a  collation  served  up  at  the  Hotel  in 
Mr.  Wilkins's  best  style  ;  after  which  appropriate  speeches 
were  made  and  sentiments  offered,  making  it  altogether  an 
occasion  of  unusual  interest." 

The  most  noticeable  fact  in  the  history  of  Cohoes  manu 
factures  since  1854,  was  the  sudden  increase  of  knitting 
mills.  The  only  accessions  of  importance  to  the  business 
interests  of  the  place  during  1856  were  of  this  character. 
In  February  of  that  year  Messrs.  Willard  Bingham  and 
Alden  &  Frink  purchased  "  the  vacant  lot  south  of  G.  L. 
Witbeck's  store,"  on  Mohawk  street,  and  erected  thereon 
the  knitting  mill  now  standing  between  Campbell  &  Clute's 
and  North's  Block.  The  building  was  pushed  rapidly 
forward,  and  the  mill,  containing  three  sets  of  machinery, 
was  in  operation  in  July  of  the  same  year.  Another  mill 
was  established  by  Messrs.  L.  W.  Mansfield,  John  Maxwell 


132  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1857. 

and  Chas.  Hay,  who  took  possession  of  the  building  on 
Courtland  street  which  had  previously  been  occupied  by 
Hollister  &  Co.,  as  a  tobacco  factory,  and  put  in  operation 
two  sets  of  machinery.1  Messrs.  Maxwell  £>  Hay  did  not 
remain  long  in  the  firm,  and  the  business  was  subsequently 
carried  on  by  Mr.  Mansfield  alone. 

In  1857  still  further  additions  to  this  branch  of  business 
were  made.  The  building  on  Erie  street,  now  occupied  by 
the  Ranken  Knitting  Company,  was  erected  by  Wm.  Burton 
and  taken  possession  of  by  the  Halcyon  Knitting  Company, 
C.  P.  Barber,  agent,  which  ran  four  sets  of  machinery.  The 
building,  60  by  60  feet,  and  five  stories  high,  was  de 
scribed  by  the  Cataract  as  one  of  the  finest  mills  in  the 
place.  Another  large  mill,  46  by  80  feet,  and  four  stories 
high,  was  erected  by  Smith,  Gregory  &  Co.,  who  put  in 
operation  three  sets  of  machinery.  The  parties  interested 
were  Wm.  Smith,  Wm.  M.  and  Alex.  M.  Gregory,  of  Albany, 
and  J.  R.  Bullock,  of  Cohoes.'2  Knitting  machinery  was 
also  introduced  by  R.  Hurst,  in  his  mill  at  the  junction  of 
Remsen  and  Mohawk  streets. 

Concerning  inventions  made  in  knitting  machinery  by 
Cohoes~  mechanics,  the  Cataract  of  August  16,  contained 
the  following  : 

"  We  notice  by  the  last  number  of  the  Scientific  Ame 
rican,  that  Augustus  J.  and  Demas  Goffe  of  this  village 
have  obtained  a  patent  for  a  new  rotary  knitting  machine. 
This  makes  the  sixth  invention  of  the  kind  by  citizens  of 
Cohoes.  The  first  was  the  old  "  reciprocating  frame,"  by 
Timothy  Bailey,  which  is  still  used  in  the  Adams  and 
Mohawk  River  Mills.  This  was  the  first  power  knitting 
machine  ever  invented,  but  it  was  never  patented.  The  next 


1  The  subsequent  occupants  of  this  mill  were  Alden,  Frink  &  Weston,  1862-66; 
Ward  &  Robinson,  1866-67 ;  Scott  &  Stewart,  1867-73.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1873. 

'Mr.  Bullock  remained  a  partner  for  about  two  years.  Mr.  Smith  died  in  1869, 
and  his  interest  was  bought  by  Jonathan  Hiller,  the  firm  name  being  Gregorys  & 
Hiller.  After  the  death  of  Alex.  Gregory,  in  1875,  the  remaining  partners  became 
sole  proprietors. 


1857.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  133 

is  that  of  John  Maxwell,  which  is  somewhat  similar  in  con 
struction  and  operation  to  that  of  Bailey.  Then  came  the 
"  warp  "  machine  of  S.  D.  Fairbank,  which  was  followed 
by  John  Jackson's,  also  a  "  warp  "  machine.  These  were 
succeeded  by  a  new  rotary  knitter  by  Mr.  Bailey  (the  in 
ventor  above  spoken  of),  which  has  been  in  operation  only 
a  few  months.  The  last  is  that  of  the  Messrs.  Goffe." 

A  department  of  industry  connected  with  the  knitting 
business  was  the  manufacture  of  knitting  needles,  com 
menced  by  Henry  Dawson,  who  located  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  year,  in  the  foundery  building  on  Mohawk  street. 

The  importance  of  the  cotton  interest  here  was  increased 
during  the  year  by  the  erection  of  part  of  the  Harmony 
Mill  No.  2,  having  a  capacity  of  20,000  spindles,  and  giving 
employment  to  nearly  500  operatives.  It  was  about  this 
time,  too,  that  the  hill  began  to  share  in  the  general  growth 
of  the  village.  In  1856  the  Harmony  Company  had  pur 
chased  from  Hugh  White  his  farm  of  seventy  acres  on  Pros 
pect  Hill,  and  laid  it  out  into  building  lots.  The  erection 
of  tenements  and  private  residences  followed  rapidly.  The 
Cataract  of  Jan.  31st  noted  the  awarding  of  a  contract  to 
John  Blair  and  E.  Wolford  "  for  twenty-two  brick  buildings 
on  Harmony  Hill  which  will  require  1,300,000  bricks." 

In  August  the  Cohoes  and  Troy  telegraph,  built  by  W.  C. 
Enos  and  J.  C.  Elmore,  went  into  operation.  It  was  managed 
by  a  stock  company,  with  a  capital  of  $1000,  the  officers  of 
which  were  :  president,  Daniel  Simmons  ;  secretary  and  trea 
surer,  E.  W.  Fuller  ;  directors,  Dr.  H.  L.  Landon,  Ira  Terry 
and  Joseph  Chadwick.  The  telegraph  office,  Henry  E.  Lasell 
operator,  was  established  in  the  rail  road  depot.  The  first 
despatch  passed  over  the  wires  August  31st.  In  October 
H.  R.  Grant  became  operator  and  the  office  was  located  in 
his  store  on  Remsen  street. 

Besides  the  factories  already  spoken  of,  a  number  of  new 
buildings  were  erected,  many  of  them  residences.  Several 
new  stores  appeared  on  Remsen  street,  among  them  one 


134  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1857. 

owned  by  Joshua  Bailey  (now  by  C.  H.  Adams),  adjoining 
Hay-ward's  building,  and  one  owned  by  Patrick  Gugerty 
(now  by  Thos.  Cartwright),  north  of  the  Van  Renssclaer 
Block.  The  latter  was  noticed  in  the  Cataract  as  "  the  first 
marble  front  in  the  village."  The  following  statistics  of  build 
ings  in  Cohoes  are  from  the  town  assessment  roll  of  1857: 

"  The  whole  number  of  dwellings  is  733,  of  which  567 
are  wood  and  166  of  brick. 

No.  of  stores  56.  No.  of  furnaces  1. 

"     "  factories  21.  "      "  forges  1. 

"     "  saw-mills  2.  "      "  coal  and  wood  yards  5. 

"     "  grist-mills  2.         "      "  lumber  yards  1." 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  the  great  financial  panic 
which  passed  over  the  country  commenced  to  be  felt  in 
Cohoes,  and  had  for  a  time  a  paralyzing  effect  on  the  in 
dustries  of  the  place.  In  the  Cataract  of  October  10th, 
an  account  of  the  condition  of  the  different  manufacturing 
concerns  was  given.  The  three  cotton  mills  were  running 
on  part  time,  the  wages  remaining  the  same  except  in  the 
Harmony  Mills,  where  a  reduction  of  ten  per  cent  had  been 
made  ;  of  the  knitting  mills,  four  were  stopped  entirely  and 
the  remainder  were  running  on  reduced  time,  with  the  in 
tention  of  closing  as  soon  as  the  stock  on  hand  was  finished  ; 
S.  Bilbrough  was  running  on  half  time  and  D.  Simmons  & 
Co.  had  discharged  one-third  of  their  men.  The  article 
concluded  as  follows  : 

"It  is  unnecessary  to  add  that  with  2000  of  our  citizens 
almost  entirely  out  of  employment,  and  the  gloomy  prospect 
before  us,  Cohoes  presents  anything  but  an  agreeable 
picture."  The  following  paragraph  appeared  Nov.  28th. 
"  At  present  there  is  no  definite  prospect  that  the  various 
mills  of  this  village  will  run  full  time  before  spring.  With 
the  exception  of  Messrs.  Alden,  Frink  &  Bingham's  es 
tablishment,  the  knitting  mills  are  either  finishing  up  their 
old  stock  or  are  stopped  entirely.  Their  mill  is  running 
two-thirds  of  the  time.  In  the  cotton  mills  no  material 


1858.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  135 

change  has  taken  place.  They  are  running  about  two-thirds 
of  the  time."  Elsewhere  it  was  said:  "Notwithstanding 
the  tightness  of  the  times,  the  Harmony  Company  are  finish 
ing  up  the  extensive  buildings  connected  with  their  mills. 
When  they  are  completed  and  the  plans  connected  therewith 
executed,  their  mills  will  be  the  most  extensive  and  the 
most  perfectly  arranged  of  any  in  the  state."  It  was  feared 
that  the  embarrassments  of  Garner  &  Co.,  of  New  York, 
might  have  a  disastrous  effect  on  the  Harmony  Company, 
but  such  was  not  the  case.  The  honorable  reputation  of 
the  house  made  it  an  easy  matter  to  secure  the  necessary 
extensions,  and  in  the  early  part  of  1858  arrangements  were 
made  with  the  creditors  of  the  firm  by  which  all  their  mills 
could  be  started  on  full  time.  Concerning  Mr.  Garner  the 
following  appeared  in  the  New  York  Mirror  in  October 
of  that  year:  "The  splendid  carriage  and  horses  which 
were  seen  in  Broadway  a  few  days  since  with  a  ticket  on 
their  backs  '  For  sale,'  belonged  to  Mr.  Garner,  who  recently 
failed  for  millions.  He  has  moved  from  his  splendid  resi 
dence  in  the  Avenue  to  a  small  two  story  house  in  the  sev 
enth  ward.  This  is  an  example  of  the  right  sort." 

The  stringency  of  the  times  was  especially  felt  by  the 
laboring  classes,  who  found  it  impossible  to  obtain  work. 
The  announcement  in  the  early  part  of  November  that  the 
junction  locks  were  to  be  rebuilt  was  hailed  with  satisfaction, 
as  it  promised  to  give  employment  to  a  number  of  men. 

But  in  spite  of  this  and  the  other  enterprises  which  were 
in  progress  here,  hundreds  of  laborers  were  idle  during  the 
winter,  and  the  suffering  was  very  great.  A  meeting  was 
called  February  1st,  1858,  to  take  measures  for  the  relief  of 
the  poor.  The  sum  of  $125  was  raised  at  once,  and  com 
mittees  were  appointed  to  disburse  the  same  and  make 
further  arrangements.  The  following  gentlemen  were  de 
signated  to  receive  contributions:  D.  J.  Johnston,  E.  W. 
Fuller,  Jacob  Travis,  H.  B.  Sillirnan,  Jenks  Brown,  Francis 


136  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1858. 

Henderson,  T.  G.  Younglove,  II.  "R.  Grant,  James  Hem- 
street,  J.  R.  Clarke,  Wm.  Acheson,  Joseph  Chadwick,  S. 
Hay  ward,  G.  L.  Witbcck.  Among  the  measures  taken  by 
the  committee  for  the  aid  of  the  poor,  was  the  establishment 
of  a  soup-house  at  the  engine  rooms  in  Cataract  alley  which 
remained  in  operation  some  time,  and  afforded  relief  during 
the  months  of  February  and  March  to  five  hundred  sufferers. 

In  the  spring  the  prospect  began  to  improve.  The  new 
mills,  into  which  machinery  had  been  placed  during  the 
latter  part  of  1857,  commenced  operations,  and  several  of 
the  factories  which  had  been  for  some  months  closed  were 
started  up  on  full  time.  During  March  strikes  occurred 
among  the  operatives  in  the  Harmony  and  Ogden  Mills  and 
D.  Simmons  &  Co.'s  axe  factory,  the  cause  being  that  the 
reduction  in  wages  made  the  previous  autumn  had  not  been 
completely  restored.  The  differences  were  settled  without 
much  difficulty  however,  and  work  was  resumed  in  a  few 
weeks. 

On  March  5th  an  act  introduced  by  Hon.  C.  IT.  Adams,  as 
semblyman  from  this  district,  was  passed  by  the  legislature, 
"  enabling  the  electors  of  the  town  of  Watervliet  to  vote 
by  districts  for  the  election  of  town  officers."  The  third 
district  constituted  by  this  law  embraced  Cohoes,  and  the 
citizens  were  no  longer  compelled  to  go  out  to  Van  Vran- 
ken's  Corners  to  vote  —  a  change  which  gave  great  satis 
faction,  for  the  country  roads  were  generally  in  an  almost 
impassable  condition  at  the  time  of  holding  town  elections. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  picking  room 
of  the  Harmony  Mills  which  for  a  time  threatened  the  de 
struction  of  the  entire  establishment,  but  was  fortunately 
kept  under  control  by  the  exertions  of  the  firemen,  who 
were  assisted  by  Nos.  4  and  5  of  Lansingburg.  The 
damage  to  machinery  and  building  amounted  to  $10,000. 
The  Lansiugburg  firemen  were  hospitably  entertained  by 
the  village  department,  and  their  services  were  handsomely 
rewarded  by  the  Harmony  Company. 


1858.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  137 

Another  fire,  on  the  night  of  May  8th,  destroyed  the 
"  Wilkinson  machine  shop"  with  several  small  outbuildings 
which  had  been  used  in  connection  with  the  axe  factory. 
The  building  had  played  an  important  part  in  the  early  his 
tory  of  Cohoes  manufactures,  having  been  the  location  at 
different  times,  of  a  dozen  business  enterprises.  The  occu 
pants  at  this  date  were:  Charles  M.  Carleton,  silk  weaver, 
John  Baker,  bobbin  turner,  G.  R.  Archer,  picker  manufac 
turer,  Mr.  O'Hare,  wagon  maker  and  Porter  &  Hall,  file 
cutters.  The  total  loss  was  $7,000,  of  which  $4,000  were  in 
sured.  The  property  was  owned  by  Mrs.  C.  A.  Olmsted  of 
New  York.  The  Cataract  in  describing  the  fire  said:  "  Our 
firemen  were  promptly  on  hand  and  did  most  efficient  service 
in  subduing  and  preventing  the  flames  from  communicating 
to  the  adjoining  buildings.  They  are  a  body  of  men  of 
whom  we  may  be  justly  proud.  Although  many  excellent 
companies  were  here  from  abroad,  our  noble  firemen  proved 
themselves  equal  to  any  on  the  ground." 

Another  loser  by  this  fire  was  A.  J.  Griffin,  who  had  ma 
chinery  and  stock  stored  in  the  building  to  the  value  of 
$500  or  $600,  and  intended  soon  to  commence  the  manu 
facture  of  sashes  and  blinds.  After  the  fire  his  establish 
ment  was  located  in  the  mill  on  Ontario  street  (now 
Brockway's)  which  had  been  recently  vacated  by  Barber 
&  Leckie.  Another  concern  occupying  the  same  building 
at  this  time  was  the  bedstead  factory  established  by  Scott 
&  Miner,  the  firm  soon  afterward  being  changed  to  Scott 
&  Hildreth.1 

The  Cataract  for  June  5th,  contained  the  following  : 
"  Our  Sprinkler.  Any  one  who  contemplates  writing  up 
the  rise  and  progress  of  Cohoes,  will  please  bear  in  mind 
that  on  Monday,  May  31st,  1858,  Thos.  Van  Dercar,  an 


1  Soon  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Scott  in  1863,  the  business  was  sold  by  Mr.  Hil 
dreth  to  L.  Greenman.  The  latter  had  for  some  time  as  his  superintendent,  Wm. 
Foote,  who  had  been  connected  formerly  with  the  bedstead  factory  established  by 
Jeremiah  Clute.  In  1865,  P.  S.  Holsapple,  the  present  proprietor,  became  interested 
in  the  business  and  assumed  sole  control  February  1869. 


138  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1858. 

enterprising  citizen,  introduced  the  first  street  sprinkler,  to 
the  infinite  delight  and  satisfaction  of  the  citizens,  who 
could  hardly  be  restrained  from  manifesting  their  gratifica 
tion  by  forming  a  procession  and  marching  in  the  rear  of 
the  perambulating  shower." 

The  block  on  the  corner  of  Remsen  and  White  streets, 
which  had  been  commenced  by  Mr.  Egberts  in  April  of  the 
previous  year,  was  completed  this  spring.  The  hall  in  the 
third  story  was  formally  opened  on  the  evening  of  July 
8th,  by  a  concert  given  by  "  the  choir  of  St.  Paul's  church, 
Troy,  and  other  eminent  artists,"  under  the  direction  of  the 
ladies  of  St.  John's  church  of  this  place.  The  programme  of 
the  evening,  which  was  described  as  the  most  attractive  ever 
presented  to  a  Cohoes  audience,  was  prefaced  by  the  reading 
of  some  dedicatory  verses,  by  Mr.  Dunham  of  West  Troy. 
The  erection  of  the  building,  which  was  then  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  place,  was  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  to  the 
community,  who  had  long  suffered  from  the  lack  of  a  proper 
hall  for  entertainments.  The  room  in  the  second  story,  now 
occupied  by  the  common  council  chamber,  was  leased  in 
May  by  the  trustees  for  village  purposes,  according  to  a 
recommendation  made  by  President  Landon  in  his  annual 
report,  in  which  he  stated  that,  "the  trustees  will  be  under 
the  necessity  of  asking  at  the  annual  meeting  for  an  appro 
priation  to  rent  a  suitable  room  in  some  convenient  locality 
for  the  purpose  of  meeting,  the  present  room  being  entirely 
too  small  for  the  ordinary  transaction  of  business,  it  being 
used  as  a  trustees'  room,  and  a  room  for  the  board  of  edu 
cation,  as  also  for  a  village  library  room,  and  as  a  place  for 
the  board  of  health  to  meet.  Adding  the  tables,  desks  and 
book  cases  of  these  several  departments,  renders  it  totally 
inadequate  for  the  necessities  required.  The  room  adjoin 
ing,  occupied  by  engine  company  No.  1,  is  altogether  too 
contracted  for  the  use  of  that  company." 

On  the  evening  of  Sept.  10th,  a  meeting  was  called  at  the 
Methodist  church  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  Young 


1858.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  139 

Men's  Christian  Association,  of  which  H.  B.  Silliman  was 
chosen  chairman  and  W.  T.  Dodge,  secretary.  The  follow 
ing  were  appointed  as  a  committee  to  draft  a  constitution: 
Herbert  Hastings,  Peter  LeBoeuf,  II.  B.  Silliman,  A.  Peck, 
D.  II.  Van  Auken,  D.  J.  Johnston,  Jas.  II.  Hasten,  Wm.  Nut- 
tall,  Wm.  Williams,  Joseph  Chadwick.  The  first  officers 
of  the  association,  who  were  elected  Sept.  27,  were  as  follows: 
president,  H.  B.  Silliman;  vice  presidents,  Jno.  V.  S.  Lan 
sing,  I.  Quackenbush,  C.  N.  Gregory,  H.  Hastings  and  Wm. 
Nuttall;  corresponding  secretary,  C.  F.  Ingraham;  recording 
secretary,  W.  T.  Dodge  ;  treasurer,  D.  J.  Johnston;  mana 
gers,  Wm.  Benedict,  F.  Thompson,  Silas  Whitney,  J.  H. 
Hasten. 

The  completion  of  the  water  works  received  the  follow 
ing  comment  in  the  Cataract  of  Dec.  4.  "  On  Wednesday 
last,  December  1st,  the  water  from  the  new  reservoir  was, 
for  the  first  time,  let  into  the  pipes,  and  with  the  most  grati 
fying  results.  A  trial  being  had  for  the  purpose  of  deter 
mining  the  pressure  of  the  water  in  the  pipes,  a  stream 
was  thrown  completely  over  Root's  knitting  mill  without 
difficulty,  and  a  stream  was  also  thrown  in  a  horizontal  di 
rection  one  hundred  feet.  There  was  but  one  break  in  the 
whole  length  of  the  pipes  laid  down  and  that  was  not  a 
serious  one.  We  consider  this  an  event  of  local  importance 
second  to  none  in  the  history  of  our  village,  and  its  citizens 
may  justly  pride  themselves  on  so  valuable  an  acquisition 
as  the  Cohoes  Water  Works."  The  reservoir,  which  has  a 
capacity  of  3,000,000  gallons,  covers  two  acres  of  ground. 
Under  the  arrangements  then  made  the  water  was  raised 
one  hundred  feet  from  the  upper  level  of  the  Cohoes  Com 
pany's  Canal  to  the  reservoir  at  the  rate  of  35,000  gallons 
per  hour,  passing  through  1200  feet  of  ten  inch  pipe.  A 
large  number  of  pipes  were  laid,  so  that  including  those 
which  had  belonged  to  the  Cohoes  Company,  there  were 
then  five  miles  of  pipes  of  sheet-iron  and  cement,  from  two  to 


140  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1859. 

ten  inches  in  diameter  laid  throughout  the  village  ;  additional 
fire  hydrants  were  also  placed  at  various  points  at  an  aver 
age  distance  of  four  hundred  feet  apart.  The  pump  house, 
containing  accommodations  for  a  hose  company,  was  built 
by  P.  B.  Ferguson  and  John  Me  Enemy,  under  direction  of 
Joshua  R.  Clarke.  Wm.  Dickey  had  the  contract  for  street 
excavations,  and  Robert  Safely  that  for  hydrants  and  gates. 
The  pump  was  driven  by  a  forty-five  horse  power  wheel, 
designed  by  E.  Geyelin  of  Philadelphia,  and  constructed 
by  Fuller  &  Safely  of  Cohoes  who  were  builders  of  all  the 
pumping  machinery.  It  was  put  in  place  under  superin 
tendence  of  D.  H.  Van  Auken,  engineer.  The  entire  cost 
of  the  works  was  $60,000. 

In  February,  1859,  measures  were  taken  for  the  establish 
ment  of  a  bank,  an  institution  much  needed,  and  one  which 
had  been  talked  of  ever  since  the  incorporation  of  the  village. 
The  stock,  $100,000,  was  taken  almost  entirely  by  citizens 
of  the  place.  The  first  officers,  who  were  elected  in  March, 
were  as  follows:  president,  Egbert  Egberts  ;  cashier,  James 
M.  Sill,  of  Albany;  directors,  Egbert  Egberts,  Daniel 
Simmons,  T.  G.  Younglove,  Wm.  Orelup,  Jr.,  "Wm.  G.  Caw, 
W.  F.  Carter,  J.  G.  Root,  John  Sill  and  C.  H.  Adams. 

The  death  of  Dr.  Henry  L.  Landon,  March  llth,  made 
vacant  the  office  of  president  of  the  village.  An  election 
was  accordingly  held  by  the  trustees,  which  resulted  in  the 
choice  of  Jenks  Brown  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

In  April  the  Reformed  Dutch  church  was  torn  down  to 
give  place  to  the  one  now  standing  on  the  site.  In  demol 
ishing  the  building,  the  tin  box  was  found  which  had  been 
placed  there  at  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  in  Sept.  1838. 
Among  the  documents  it  was  found  to  contain  was  a  copy 
of  the  Bible,  of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  and  of 
the  different  states  in  the  union,  the  catechisms,  constitution 
and  articles  of  faith  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  church,  a  list 
of  those  who  formed  the  first  consistory  and  the  first  build- 


1859.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  141 

ing  committee  —  a  copy  of  the  Albany  Aryus  and  the 
Christian  Intelligencer ',  and  a  record  of  the  exercises  which 
took  place  at  the  time. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid  on  June  22d, 
with  the  following  ceremonies:  "The  stone  was  laid  by 
Rev.  O.  H.  Gregory,  D.D.,  of  West  Troy.  The  script 
ures  were  read  by  Rev.  Dr.  Pohlman  of  Albany,  and  ad 
dresses  were  made  by  Rev.  R.  Van  Brunt  of  Waterford, 
Rev.  Dr.  Gregory,  and  by  the  pastor  Rev.  C.  N.  Waldron. 
The  choir  of  the  church,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Alden, 
sang  several  appropriate  hymns,  and  the  sabbath  school 
children  of  the  church  sang  one  of  their  favorite  pieces." 

The  corner  stone  of  the  present  Methodist  church  was 
laid  June  21st,  with  appropriate  ceremonies. 

Among  the  subjects  which  received  frequent  attention  in 
the  local  columns  of  the  Cataract  was  base-ball,  a  game 
then  just  coming  into  favor,  and  one  which  awakened 
considerable  interest  among  the  young  men  here.  The 
Vanguard  Base  Ball  Club,  followed  in  later  years  by  the 
Joe  Leggett  Club,  was  for  some  time  a  flourishing  insti 
tution  of  Cohoes.  Among  the  most  prominent  members  of 
the  Vanguard  were  A.  T.  Becker,  Dr.  G.  H.  Billings,  P. 
D.  Niver,  John  McDermott,  Isaac  V.  Fletcher,  Joseph 
Almy,  Jr.,  Daniel  McElwain,  Joseph  Chadwick,  Wm. 
Arthur,  Jr.,  and  Joseph  Damond.  A  number  of  match 
games  were  played  with  neighboring  clubs,  in  which  the 
Vanguards  had  their  share  of  victory.  The  ground  for  a 
number  of  years  was  on  the  hill  north  of  Columbia  street 
beyond  the  Central  Rail  Road. 

During  the  summer  D.  Simmons  &  Co.  commenced  the 
building  of  the  dyke  across  the  sprout  of  the  river  from  their 
lower  forge  to  Simmons's  (formerly  called  Demilt's)  Island. 
It  was  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  relieving  their  wheel 
from  backwater  and  also  with  a  view  to  opening  the  island 
to  the  public.  The  Cataract  said,  "  Mr.  Simmons  could 


142  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1859. 

not  have  engaged  in  an  enterprise  that  promises  better,  as 
it  only  needs  the  improvement  contemplated  to  make  the 
island  lots  eagerly  sought  after,  and  greatly  increase  the 
value  of  his  water  lots  in  that  vicinity."  Other  improve 
ments  during  this  year  were  thus  spoken  of  in  the  Cataract 
of  July  30  :  "  Good  walks  are  now  laid  nearly  all  the  way 
on  both  sides  of  Remsen  street  from  Factory  to  Columbia 
streets  ;  on  Mohawk  street,  from  its  junction  with  Remsen 
near  Hurst's  Mill  to  A.  Ferguson's  residence  in  the  lower 
ward  (corner  of  Howard  street)  and  also  on  White  street 
from  its  intersection  with  Mohawk  to  the  Erie  Canal,  to 
gether  with  many  others  on  the  less  important  thorough 
fares.  The  most  of  these  improvements  have  been  made 
during  the  past  year,  and  are  a  commendable  evidence  of 
local  pride  and  thrift.  Besides  the  above,  many  places  of 
business  have  been  changed,  enlarged  and  greatly  improved, 
and  many  new  ones  erected." 

The  principal  new  factories  of  the  year  were  those  built 
by  T.  G.  Younglove,  on  the  site  of  Miles  White's  axe  fac 
tory.  The  larger  one,  which  has  since  been  remodelled 
and  is  now  known  as  the  Empire  Mill,  was  commenced  early 
in  the  season.  It  was  of  brick,  100  by  40  feet  and  five 
stories  high,  and  was  built  by  Henry  Howarth.  It  was 
occupied  soon  after  its  completion  by  the  Albany  Pin  Com 
pany.  The  building  near  the  river  now  occupied  by  A. 
J.  Griffin  was  completed  in  July.  The  first  story  was  occu 
pied  by  Griffin  &  Co.  (B.  A.  Glines  having  been  admitted 
as  partner),  the  second  story  by  Scott  &  Hildreth's  bed 
stead  factory,  and  the  third  story  by  North's  and  Ten 
Eyck's  bobbin  shop,  which  had  been  moved  from  Park- 
hurst's  bedstead  factory.1  In  the  building  vacated  by 
Scott  &  Hildreth,  and  Griffin  &  Co.,  a  knitting  mill  was 


1  This  firm  had  bought  of  John  Baker.  It  was  succeeded  by  North  &  Chesebro, 
January,  1860  ;  North  &  Bogue,  July,  1860 ;  Bogue  &  Clark,  1866,  and  Asa  Clark  & 
Son,  the  last  proprietors. 


1859.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  143 

established  by  Henry  Brockway,  who  has  since  made  large 
additions  to  the  original  structure.1 

Among  the  new  firms  of  the  year  was  Wild  &  Young- 
love,  who  bought  the  mill  belonging  to  Isaac  D.  F.  Lansing 
near  the  Cohoes  Company's  dam,  and  established  the  straw 
board  manufactory  with  which  Mr.  Younglove  has  ever 
since  been  connected.  The  mill  had  been  for  some  time 
occupied  for  a  similar  purpose.  In  1830  coarse  wrapping 
paper  was  manufactured  there  by  a  man  named  Bryce,  and 
some  years  later  Gerret  R.  Lansing  (who  was  succeeded  by 
I.  D.  F.  Lansing)  commenced  making  straw  board,  but 
neither  of  these  establish irents  were  on  an  extensive  scale.- 

The  proper  line  of  Mohawk  street  had  from  the  earliest 
days  of  the  village  been  a  subject  of  controversy,  and  as  in 
the  case  of  Saratoga  street,  encroachments  by  various  par 
ties  were  numerous.  Before  1833  the  Cohoes  Company 
owned  only  the  land  on  the  west  of  the  old  highway,  but 
when  in  that  year  they  purchased  the  Demilt  tract  or 
Factory  lot,  they  proceeded  to  straighten  the  line  of  the  street 
in  several  places.  Near  Cataract  alley  the  old  road  ran  so  far 
to  the  west  that  it  passed  close  by  the  front  of  the  present 
residence  of  H.  S.  Bogue,  and  between  Seneca  and  Oneida 
streets  it  made  a  deep  bend  toward  the  east.  Mr.  Olmsted, 
who  occupied  at  one  time  the  present  residence  of  M.  S. 
Younglove,  extended  his  wooden  sidewalk  to  the  corrected 
line  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  and  it  made  such  a  prominent 
object  in  the  street  that  it  was  known  as  Olmsted's  dock, 
and  Olmsted's  raft.  The  efforts  of  the  company  were  of 
little  avail,  however,  and  nearly  all  the  houses  on  the  west 


1  Mr.  Brockway  sold  out  in  1863,  but  rebought  the  property  in  the  fall  of  '64,  com 
mencing  operations  the  following  spring. 

2  A  new  mill  was  built  in  1863,  and  in  1866  Mr.  Wild  retired.    The  present  com 
pany,  with  a  capital  of  $85,000,  was  incorporated  June  23,  1875,  with  the  following 
officers :  president.  T.  G.  Youriglove ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  D.  II.  Van  Auken  ; 
trustees,  T.  G.  Younglove,  Geo.  Z.  Collins,  M.  S.  Younglove,  D.  T.  Lamb,  D.  H. 
Van  Auken,  Geo.  H.  Stewart,  Levi  Dodge. 


144  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1860. 

side  of  Mohawk  street  between  Seneca  and  Oneida,  extend 
into  the  street  as  it  was  laid  out.  The  following  in  regard 
to  the  matter  is  from  the  Cataract  of  April  7,  1860  :  "It 
will  be  remembered  that  a  short  time  since  the  village  au 
thorized  the  corporation  counsel,  Jas.  F.  Crawford,  Esq.,  to 
commence  legal  proceedings  against  several  property  owners 
whose  buildings  projected  several  feet  into  Mohawk  street 
near  its  intersection  with  Oneida.  The  first  suit,  that  against 
II.  Bortel,  was  tried  before  Squire  Hubbard,  on  Wednesday 
last  and  resulted  adversely  to  the  village  ;  it  being  proved 
that  Mohawk  street  was  a  highway  under  control  of  the 
town  of  Watervliet,  and  that  therefore,  the  village  had 
nothing  to  do  with  its  boundaries.  This  will  probably  settle 
the  matter  for  the  present,  at  least." 

Another  suit  in  which  the  village  was  interested,  concern 
ing  the  appointment  of  water  commissioners,  was  decided 
in  the  following  month.  It  had  been  pending  since  1858, 
and  had  excited  much  local  interest.  It  was  necessary  for 
the  board  of  trustees  of  that  year  to  appoint  water  com 
missioners  in  place  of  Messrs.  Wild  and  Carter,  whose  terms 
of  office  then  expired.  As  the  board  was  equally  divided 
in  politics  it  was  evident  that  no  appointments  could  be 
made  unless  a  compromise  could  be  effected.  According  to 
the  water  act,  vacancies  in  the  water  board  were  to  be  filled 
by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  trustees  ;  but  some  of  the  trus 
tees  were  advised  by  Judge  Parker  that  a  majority  vote 
would  suffice,  and  accordingly  at  a  meeting  held  May  3, 
when  one  of  the  board  was  absent,  a  motion  was  carried 
that  Messrs.  J.  F.  Crawford  and  Jno.  W.  Frink  be  ap 
pointed  to  fill  the  vacancies.  This  was  vetoed  the  next 
day  by  President  Landon,  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  full 
board,  held  the  same  evening,  Messrs.  Wild  arid  Carter  were 
declared  re-appointed.  The  matter  was  carried  to  the  courts, 
where  it  remained  for  two  years.  The  final  decision  of 
Judge  Hogeboom  was  that  Messrs.  Crawford  and  Frink 
were  rightfully  appointed,  and  they  served  the  remainder 
of  their  term. 


1859.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  145 

A  marked  improvement  of  this  year  was  the  increase  of 
church  accommodations.  In  January,  the  alterations  in  St. 
John's  church  which  had  been  for  some  weeks  in  progress, 
were  completed,  and  were  thus  noticed  in  the  Cataract : 
"  An  addition  of  thirty  feet  has  been  made  to  its  length, 
the  outside  has  been  neatly  painted  and  new  blinds  have 
been  put  up.  In  the  interior  a  much  needed  change  has 
taken  place.  The  increased  length  of  the  house  gives  seve 
ral  additional  seats  and  has  much  improved  its  general 
appearance,  while  the  decorations  of  the  ceilings  together 
with  the  beautiful  stained  glass  window  in  the  rear  pro 
duce  a  fine  effect." 

The  new  Methodist  church  was  dedicated  on  Feb.  22d. 
Rev.  Dr.  Haven,  editor  of  Zion^s  Herald,  preached  the 
opening  sermon  in  the  morning,  which  was  followed  by  the 
dedicatory  services,  participated  in  by  the  presiding  elder, 
Rev.  Mr.  Seymour  of  Waterford,  assisted  by  several  emi 
nent  clergymen  from  abroad.  In  the  evening  a  sermon 
was  preached  by  Rev.  Wm.  P.  Corbitt  of  New  York. 
Subscriptions  towards  liquidating  the  debt  of  the  church 
were  taken  after  each  service,  amounting  in  the  morning  to 
$1,700,  and  in  the  evening  to  $800.  The  church,  which 
has  a  seating  capacity  of  800,  cost  about  $30,000. 

The  Reformed  church  was  dedicated  April  llth.  The 
dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Dr.  Rogers  of 
Albany,  and  was  followed  by  the  prayer  of  dedication, 
offered  by  Rev.  I.  N.  Wyckoff  of  the  same  place.  Rev. 
Mr.  Dickson,  Rev.  Dr.  Gregory  and  Rev.  Mr.  Van  Brunt 
of  Albany  were  also  present  and  took  part  in  the  services. 
Rev.  Mr.  Seelye  of  Schenectady  occupied  the  pulpit  in  the 
evening.  The  building,  which  is  98  by  74  feet,  and  capable  of 
seating  850  persons,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $30,000.  The 
architect  was  L.  A.  Gouch  of  Yonkers.  The  building  com 
mittee  were  Egbert  Egberts,  S.  A.  Becker  and  Jacob  I. 
Lansing. 

In  June  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  an  order  established 
19 


146  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1859. 

the  preceding  year  in  connection  with  the  Catholic  church, 
took  possession  of  the  dwelling  on  Mohawk  street  north  of 
Cataract  alley,  now  owned  by  Solomon  Stimson,  where 
they  established  the  parish  school.  After  the  completion 
of  the  new  parsonage  of  St.  Bernard's  they  removed  to  the 
building  next  the  old  church,  which  they  now  occupy. 

There  were  during  this  year  several  important  business 
changes.  The  Ogden  Mills  property  was  purchased  by  the 
Harmony  Company,  who  enlarged  and  improved  the  build 
ings  at  a  cost  of  $200,000,  giving  them  a  capacity  of  30,000 
spindles. ' 

The  partnership  between  Root  and  Parsons  was  dissolved, 
Mr.  Parsons,  with  J.  H.  Parsons  as  partner,  retaining  the 
old  establishment,-  and  Mr.  Root  commencing  the  erection 
of  a  new  mill  on  Mohawk  street  which  was  one  of  the  most 
complete  in  the  place.  The  latter  admitted  his  sons  Messrs. 
A.  J.  and  S.  G.  Root  to  partnership,  and  the  business  was 
conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Root  &  Sons/* 

A  new  enterprise  was  Blake  &  Son's  saw  works,  which  occu 
pied  the  first,  second  and  third  stories  of  T.  G.  Younglove's 
new  building  on  Mohawk  street.  The  polishing  and  grind 
ing  machine  in  use  was  the  joint  invention  of  Messrs.  Blake 
&  Dodge  of  Cohoes.  Between  foi'ty  and  fifty  dozen  wood 
saws  were  sent  to  market  daily. 

An  axe  factory  was  subsequently  established  by  this  firm 
in  the  rear  of  the  saw  works  which  did  not,  however,  con 
tinue  long  in  operation. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  the  flour  mill  near  the  old 


1  The  stock  company  which  had  been  organized  in  1847  failed  in  1851,  and  in  the 
following  year  the  business  came  under  control  of  Brown  Bros.  &  Co.,  who  had 
been  heavy  creditors  of  the  old  firm.  The  buildings  passed  into  the  possession  of 
the  Cohoes  Company.  The  agent  under  the  new  management  was  Waterman 
Smith  who  was  succeeded  in  1853,  by  Jenks  Browu. 

a  After  the  death  of  Mr.  L.  S.  Parsons  in  1864,  the  present  firm  was  organized. 

1  Mr.  Root  retired  in  1869,  and  the  firm  became  J.  G.  Root's  Sons,  and  so  remained 
until  the  formation  of  the  present  company,  January  1st,  1875. 


1860.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  147 

junction,  owned  by  G.  M.  Cropsey  &  Co.,  was  completed. 
The  building  was  55  by  30  feet  and  three  stories  high.1 

The  manufacture  of  soap  was  commenced  by  Walter 
Campbell  in  the  building  on  Oneida  street  east  of  the  rail 
road,  which  had  some  time  before  been  occupied  for  that 
purpose.  - 

The  Cataract  during  the  year  contained  a  number  of 
communications  and  articles  on  the  water  rents,  concerning 
which  dissatisfaction  had  arisen.  In  one  of  these,  which 
gave  some  interesting  figures  in  regard  to  mill  property  in 
Cohoes,  it  was  shown  that  the  total  assessed  valuation  of 
such  property  for  the  preceding  year  was  $476,000,  and  its 
owners  paid  a  water  tax  of  $780.25,  and  that  during  the 
preceding  ten  years  twenty-one  fires  had  occurred  in  mill 
property. 

The  census  taken  during  the  year  showed  an  increase  in 
population  since  1855  of  2,694.  The  number  of  deaths  re 
ported  for  the  last  year  was  183.  The  statistics  of  manufac 
tures  were  as  follows  : 

Am't  capital  employed  in  manf'g, $2,078,500 

Operatives  employed  in  factories, 3,728 

Wages  paid  monthly  to  operatives,  $53,862 

The  remarkable  increase  in  the  business  activity  of  Cohoes 
and  its  material  improvement  in  many  particulars,  which 
had  been  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  period  just  de 
scribed,  became  less  noticeable  after  the  outbreak  of  the 
rebellion  in  the  spring  of  1861.  Instead  of  recording  con 
stant  evidences  of  growth,  the  local  columns  of  the  village 
newspaper  were  devoted  mainly  to  matters  connected  with 
the  war,  and  items  of  this  sort  furnish  the  principal  materials 
for  the  history  of  the  place  during  the  next  few  years. 

1  This  property  was  bought  by  Bills  and  Sage  of  Troy,  March  1864.    In  the  follow 
ing  year  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Mills  and  McMartin  of  Albany,  and  subse 
quently  Jas.  McMartin,  the  present  owner,  became  sole  proprietor. 

2  The  subsequent  proprietors  have  been  ;  M.  M.  Wilson  &  Co.,  1868,  P.  D.  Niver, 
1874,  F.  W.  Grant,  1875,  Mrs.  H.  R.  Grant. 


148  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1861. 


VIII. 
THE  PART  TAKEN  BY  COHOES  IN  THE  WAR. 

A.T  the   opening  of  the  war,  Cohoes  was   not  behind 
neighboring  towns  in  manifestations  of  patriotism,  and  was 
prompt  in   the   contribution   of  funds   and   recruits.     The 
first  public  demonstration  was  a  meeting  held  in  Egberts 
Hall  April  25,  to  raise  money  for  the  support  of  the  families 
of  volunteers.     Egbert  Egberts  was  called  to  the  chair,  and 
the  following  gentlemen  were  chosen  vice  presidents  :  Sid 
ney  Alden,   C.  H.   Adams,  Wm.   Burton,  Joshua  Bailey, 
John  Lyons,  T.  G.  Younglove,  H.  D.  Fuller,  W.  K  Chad- 
wick,  Jas.  Hay  den,  Robert  Johnston,  Abram  Lansing,  Henry 
Brockway,  Wm.  G.  Caw.     The  secretaries  were  as  follows  : 
D.  J.  Johnston,  Jas.  H.  Hasten,  Murray  Hubbard,  M.  Mon- 
ahon,  S.  V.  Trull,  H.  S.  Bogue.     After  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Spor,  a  series  of  patriotic  resolutions  was  read  and  adopted. 
The  president  then  stated  the  object  of  the  meeting,  after 
which  stirring  addresses  were  made  by  S.   W.   Lovejoy, 
Jacob  W.  Miller,  Rev.  Thos.  Keveney,  Rev.  Dr.  Reed,  Rev. 
Mr.  Spor,  H.  B.  Silliman,  T.  G.  Younglove  and  II.  D.  Fuller. 
Collectors  were  then  appointed,  and  the  following  finance 
committee  :    S.  A.   Becker,   J.   R.   Clarke,  F.  Henderson, 
Edward  O'Reilly,  I.  Quackenbush  and  Wm.  Burton ;  Edward 
W.  Fuller  was  chosen  treasurer  and  the  books  were  opened, 
the    subscriptions    of  those   present  amounting  to  $3,135. 
Further  contributions  were  made  until  within  a  few  weeks 
the  fund  amounted  to  nearly  $5,000. 

Another  evidence  of  loyalty  in  a  less  substantial  form  was 
spoken  of  as  follows  in  the  Cataract  of  April  27  : 

"  If  displaying  colors  is  a  manifestation  of  patriotism  the 
people  of  Cohoes  are  not  wanting  in  devotion  to  our  glorious 
union,  for  the  national  banner  floats  from  every  prominent 
building  in  the  place,  while  nearly  every  man,  woman  and 


1861.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  149 

child  wears  the  red  white  and  blue  rosette.  On  Saturday  last 
a  beautiful  flag  was  raised  over  the  mill  of  J.  G.  Root  & 
Co.,  and  impressive  speeches  were  made  by  L.  Sprague 
Parsons,  J.  W.  Miller,  C.  II.  Adams,  S.  H.  Foster,  and  H. 
B.  Silliman,  Esqs.,  while  Green's  Cornet  Band  enlivened 
the  occasion  by  playing  a  number  of  national  airs.  A  large 
crowd  was  in  attendance  whose  repeated  cheers  gave  evi 
dence  of  their  heartfelt  appreciation  of  the  sentiments 
uttered  by  the  speakers." 

During  the  same  week  flags  were  raised  on  nearly  every 
factory  and  store  in  the  village,  in  many  instances  with 
similar  exercises. 

The  first  detachment  of  volunteers,  consisting  of  84 
men  under  F.  Temple,  left  here  for  Camp  Willard,  Troy, 
May  llth.  Unfortunately  the  number  of  companies  called 
for  in  the  state  had  been  offered  and  accepted  before 
Capt.  Temple  could  muster  a  full  complement  of  men,  and 
instead  of  going  as  a  company  from  Cohoes,  his  men  were 
forced  to  join  companies  already  formed,  or  else  stay 
at  home.  Many  of  them  accordingly  enlisted  in  the  differ 
ent  companies  stationed  at  Camp  Willard,  and  went 
with  Col.  Carr's  regiment  from  Troy.  About  45  men 
went  from  Cohoes,  who  enlisted  in  Waterford  in  Co.  A., 
Capt.  J.  L.  Yates,  which  was  assigned  to  the  22d  regiment, 
and  25  more  went  with  the  5th  regiment,  Gen.  Sickles's 
brigade.  A  large  number  of  men  were  enrolled  in  other 
out  of  town  companies  during  the  year.  In  August 
recruits  were  enlisted  for  the  IT.  S.  Vanguard  Reg't, 
organized  in  New  York,  and  for  the  Cameron  Light  Infantry, 
Capt.  P.  R.  Chadwick,  formerly  of  the  7th  Reg't,  of  New 
York,  being  agent  for  the  latter.  Recruiting  offices  were 
also  opened  in  September  by  Egbert  J.  Wilkins  and  Peter 
Manton,  and  in  October  by  Lieut.  Frank  Keating,  each 
of  which  did  a  large  business.  A  number  of  men  who  had 
enlisted  in  the  4th  Heavy  Artillery,  Col.  Doubleday,  left 
Cohoes  in  the  latter  part  of  January,  1862. 

On  May  10th,  the  Ladies  Aid  Society  effected  a  perma- 


150  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1862. 

nent  organization.  Much  useful  work  had  been  done  during 
the  preceding  year  by  many  ladies  who  belonged  to  it,  in 
connection  with  the  Ladies  Central  Association  for  the 
Relief  of  the  Army,  the  headquarters  of  which  were  in 
New  York.  During  the  year  regular  meetings  were  held 
for  the  purpose  of  making  articles  needed  by  the  soldiers, 
and  contributions  from  private  parties  or  business  firms  were 
packed  and  sent  to  their  destination. 

Recruiting  continued  during  the  summer.  In  July,  an 
office  was  opened  by  Wm.  Shannon,  who  enrolled  some 
sixty  men.1  A  number  of  Cohoes  men  also  enlisted  in  Co. 
H.  of  the  115th  Reg't,  then  being  organized  in  Crescent 
by  Capt.  Smith  —  which  drew  forth  the  following  com 
ment  from  the  Cataract:  "While  we  have  none  but 
the  best  wishes  for  Capt.  Smith's  success,  we  regret  that 
Albany  county  loses  so  many  from  its  quota.  It  seems  un 
fortunate  for  Cohoes  that  her  volunteers  are  scattered 
among  so  many  foreign  companies,  when  if  they  had  en 
listed  together  they  might  have  numbered  a  half  regiment." 
Even  at  this  early  stage  of  the  war  it  was  seen  that  it  would 
be  very  difficult  to  obtain  accurately  the  number  of  soldiers 
which  Cohoes  had  furnished.  Frequent  requests  were  made 
in  the  editorial  columns  to  friends  of  men  who  had  enlisted 
to  hand  in  their  names  for  publication,  and  in  August  a  notice 
was  published  urging  the  preparation  of  a  complete  list  of 
soldiers  and  sailors,  and  requesting  that  names  be  left  with 
Postmaster  Chesebro.  The  call  of  Secretary  Stanton  for 
300,000  men  was  issued  August  4,  and  steps  were  immedi 
ately  taken  to  fill  the  quota  of  the  town,  so  that  a  draft 
might  not  be  necessary.  A  recruiting  office  was  opened  by 
S.  V.  Trull,  and  some  80  men  were  enrolled,  who  joined 


!MoBt  of  the  men  enrolled  by  Capt.  Shannon  joined  the  113th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  which 
was  afterwards  known  as  the  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery,  to  which  they  are  credited  in 
the  list  at  the  close  of  this  chapter. 


1862.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  151 

the   30th  Reg't  ;'    by  the  efforts    of  Wm.   Conliss,   some 

12  more  enlisted  in  the  Corcoran  Legion,  and  a  number  of 

other  recruits  joined  different  companies. 

The  militia  enrollment  of  Cohoes,  for  which  the  draft 

was  to  be  taken,  was  as  follows  : 

Total  number  enrolled,  768 

Affidavits  of  persons  whose  names  were  enrolled  : 

Active  firemen,  63 

Exempt, 5 

All  other  claims  for  exemption, 15       83 

685 

On  Aug.  21st,  the  board  of  supervisors  voted  to  con 
tinue  the  county  bounty  to  every  man  who  enlisted  until 
the  quota  of  the  county  was  made  up. 

An  enthusiastic  war  meeting  was  held  at  the  Cohoes 
Hotel  during  the  same  week  of  which  Wm.  Leckie  was 
president  and  Michael  Monahon,  secretary.  Addresses 
were  made  by  Prof.  Baerman  of  Troy,  Wm.  M.  White  of 
Canaseraga,  and  L.  S.  Parsons  of  Cohoes.  Among  the  reso 
lutions  passed  was  the  following  : 

"  Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  the  committee  (at 
Albany)  to  offer  an  additional  bounty  of  $20  to  each  man 
who  shall  be  enlisted  in  any  company  and  accepted,  and 
that  for  that  object  we  pledge  our  liberal  contributions." 

A  town  meeting  was  held  Sept.  6,  at  which  it  was  voted 
to  raise  by  tax  $60,000  to  enable  the  payment  of  a  town 
bounty  of  $100  to  every  man  enlisting  until  the  quota  was 
filled.  Committees  were  appointed  to  make  arrangements 


1  This  company  joined  the  regiment  at  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  Oct.  14th.  In  May,  1863, 
it  was  transferred  to  the  76th  Regt.  N.  Y.  Vols.  Having  made  the  campaigns  of 
'63  and  '64,  the  men  were  transferred  to  the  147th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  Feb.  1st,  '65,  the 
term  of  the  76th  having  expired.  With  this  regiment  they  made  the  campaign  of 
'65,  ending  in  Lee's  surrender.  On  June  5th,  they  were  mustered  into  the  9th 
Reg't  N.  Y.  Vet.  Vols.,  with  which  they  returned  to  Albany,  July  6th.  In  the 
list  of  soldiers  at  the  end  of  the  chapter  the  men  who  enlisted  under  Capt.  Trull  are 
all  credited  to  the  76th  Reg't,  with  which  they  were  longest  connected. 


152  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1862. 

for  procuring  the  funds  at  once — that  from  Cohoes  consisting 
of  Egbert  Egberts,  Wm.  G.  Caw,  L.  S.  Parsons  and  Wm. 
Burton.  Besides  these  bounties,  extra  inducements  to  volun 
teers  were  offered  by  numerous  private  parties  ;  among  whom 
may  be  mentioned  T.  G.  Younglove,  who  agreed  to  pay 
John  Stephens  of  Wm.  Shannon's  Company  $10  per  month 
for  three  years,  and  paid  $10  each  to  the  first  ten  recruits 
of  Capt.  Smith's  company,  and  Alfred  Wild,  who  furnished 
six  men,  two  for  Albany  and  four  for  Columbia  Co.  regi 
ments.  The  result  of  these  efforts  was  that  the  town  of 
Watervliet  was  exempt  from  the  draft  which  was  made  Nov. 
10th,  having  furnished  over  800  men  since  July  2,  and  paid 
a  town  bounty  of  over  $35,000. 

The  local  columns  of  the  Cataract  at  this  time  contained 
much  interesting  matter.  Letters  from  soldiers  and  sailors, 
either  to  the  editor,  or  published  by  permission  of  friends, 
were  a  prominent  feature  and  continued  to  be  so  during 
the  war. '  Considerable  space  was  also  occupied  with  re 
ports  of  relief  committees,  lists  of  subscriptions  and  other 
matters  of  the  kind.  Among  the  enterprises  mentioned 
were  two  promenade  concerts  and  festivals,  held  in  Sep 
tember  by  the  ladies  of  the  Aid  Association,  Miss  E.  Howe 
manager,  which  cleared  $260  for  the  Soldiers'  Relief  Fund. 
Such  efforts  as  these,  however,  were  but  a  part  of  the  work 
in  which  the  ladies  were  engaged.  Boxes  of  goods  or  pro 
visions  were  being  continually  packed  and  sent  to  the 
Washington  hospitals,  the  headquarters  of  committees  in 
New  York,  or  the  soldiers  in  camp  ;  money  was  raised  in 
large  amounts  for  contribution  to  the  U.  S.  Christian  Com 
mission  and  similar  patriotic  funds,  and  in  fact  every  call 
on  their  benevolence  and  industry  was  liberally  answered. 

Material  for  pleasant   paragraphs  was   furnished  when 


1  Among  the  contributors  at  different  times  were  Messrs.  Joseph  and  P.  K.  Chad- 
wick,  Myron  and  James  D.  Van  Benthuysen,  L.  H.  Vermilyea,  J.  W.  Himes, 
Almon  E.  Stone,  Zalmon  Van  Ness  and  A.  C .  Musgrove. 


1863.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  153 

popular  officers  were  presented  with  swords  by  their  friends, 
an  event  of  quite  frequent  occurrence.  Among  those  thus 
favored  were  Messrs.  Uiram  Clute,  Silas  Owen,  Jas.  O'Hare, 
Wm.  Shannon,  Frank  Temple,  A.  T.  Calkins  and  Malachi 
Weidman. 

Another  subject  for  items  was  the  scarcity  of  small  change, 
which  began  to  be  felt  here  early  in  the  summer  and  by  fall 
had  become  a  serious  inconvenience.  A  number  of  business 
firms,  among  them  Alden  &  Frink  and  H.  Thompson  &  Son, 
issued  shinplasters  for  fractional  amounts  redeemable  at 
their  establishments  and  at  different  localities  in  Troy  and 
Albany.  Smaller  concerns  issued  pasteboard  tickets,  or 
tokens,  and  these,  together  with  postage  stamps,  were  made 
to  answer  the  purpose  of  specie. 

During  the  early  part  of  1863,  few  volunteers  left  Cohoes, 
the  ordinary  course  of  business  was  resumed,  and  aside  from 
correspondence,  war  matters  occupied  a  comparatively  small 
space  in  the  columns  of  the  local  paper.  It  was  announced 
March  7th,  that  at  a  meeting  of  the  supervisors  it  was  found 
that  there  was  a  surplus  of  $18,000  remaining  in  the  fund 
which  had  been  raised  for  payment  of  extra  bounties,  and 
it  was  voted  to  appropriate  this  sum  to  the  support  of 
families  of  needy  volunteers.  The  amount  to  which  Cohoes 
was  entitled  under  the  allotment  was  $782. 

The  return  of  the  regiments  which  had  enlisted  in  1861, 
was  made  the  occasion  of  public  demonstrations.  The  2d 
Reg't  of  Troy,  under  command  of  Col.  Carr,  which  had 
enlisted  with  900  men,  reached  home  May  16th  with  less 
than  300,  having  been  engaged  in  fourteen  battles.  The 
Cohoes  members  received  a  hearty  welcome  from  the  citi 
zens,  which  was  described  as  follows  : 

"  In  anticipation  of  the  arrival  of  the  regiment  our  citizens 
determined  to  give  the  Cohoes  boys  such  a  reception  as 
would  prove  to  them  that  their  gallant  deeds  in  defence  of 
their  country  were  appreciated.  Messrs.  Wm.  Burton,  Peter 
Manton,  II.  B.  Silliman,  D.  J.  Johnston  and  the  officers  of 
20 


154  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1863. 

the  fire  department  acted  as  a  committee  of  reception  and 
in  their  arrangements  spared  no  pains  to  give  our  brave 
soldiers  a  most  cordial  welcome  ;  while  our  citizens 
generally  suspended  business  to  give  all  an  opportunity  to 
join  in  the  festivities.  Early  on  Thursday  morning  Mohawk 
and  Cataract  engine  companies,  headed  by  the  Cohoes 
Cornet  Band  and  accompanied  by  large  numbers  of  our 
citizens  marched  to  Troy  to  take  part  in  the  reception  there 
and  escort  our  heroes  home.  A  special  train  was  chartered 
on  the  Central  Road  and  about  four  o'clock  they  left  Troy, 
arriving  at  our  station  at  half  past  four,  where  hundreds  of 
friends  had  gathered  to  greet  them.  They  were  received 
amid  the  booming  of  cannon,  the  ringing  of  bells,  and  the 
most  earnest  manifestations  of  joy." 

On  June  5th  the  22d  Reg't,  which  had  been  organized  May 
14,  1861,  under  Col.  Phelps,  and  left  Albany  825  strong,  re 
turned  with  500  men,  having  been  engaged  in  ten  battles. 
Company  A,  composed  of  men  from  Waterford  and  Cohoes, 
arrived  in  the  former  village  in  the  afternoon  and  was 
hospitably  entertained.  In  the  evening  the  company  was 
formally  received  by  the  people  of  Cohoes.  The  train  was 
met  at  the  depot  by  an  immense  concourse  of  citizens,  and 
the  fire  department  bearing  torches.  A  procession  was 
formed,  that  paraded  through  the  principal  streets,  which 
were  brilliantly  illuminated.  The  exercises  were  concluded 
with  an  address  of  welcome,  delivered  by  H.  B.  Silliman. 
The  return  of  the  10th  (or  177th)  Reg't  was  spoken  of  as 
follows  in  the  Cataract,  Sept.  5th: 

"The  anticipated  joy  with  which  the  return  of  the  10th 
Reg't  was  to  be  welcomed  was  sadly  marred  when  they 
appeared  on  Tuesday,  by  their  wretched  condition.  Worn 
out,  decimated  by  battles  and  fevers,  sick  and  dying,  tot 
tering  feebly  or  borne  by  others  to  their  homes,  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  believe  that  the  splendid  regiment 
which  left  Albany  nine  months  ago  over  1,000  strong  had 
indeed  returned.  Not  over  250  men  could  be  numbered  who 
were  in  the  enjoyment  of  even  moderate  health." 

In  the  latter  part  of  September  announcement  was  made 
of  a  draft,  the  quota  from  Cohoes  being  given  as  93,  though 
the  enrollment  was  made  for  140  to  make  allowance  for  all 


1863. 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


155 


who  might  be  exempt.  The  Cataract  made  the  following 
comment  : 

"  Cohoes,  like  all  other  wide-awake  towns,  has  its  periods 
of  local  excitement,  which  she  enjoys  or  disrelishes,  accord 
ing  to  their  character,  with  the  same  zest  or  repugnance  as 
other  large  towns  or  cities.  The  fact  that  the  draft  was  to 
take  place,  and  had  actually  commenced,  threw  many  into 
consternation  who  had  lulled  themselves  into  a  sort  of  un 
easy  security  because  it  had  been  so  long  in  coming;  others 
took  the  matter  philosophically  and  began  to  cast  about  for 
some  expedient  to  relieve  themselves  from  its  worst  con 
sequences.  Early  last  week  an  association  was  formed, 
pledged  to  pay  $75  each  for  the  relief  of  such  of  its  mem 
bers  as  should  be  drawn.  This  organization  grew  rapidly 
in  numbers,  and  before  the  result  was  announced,  had  se 
cured  a  membership  of  thirty-two.  Of  this  number  eleven 
were  drawn.  If  from  these  the  usual  proportion  are  ex 
empted  the  amount  pledged  will  cover  the  commutations." 

The  drafted  men,  138  in  number,  were  as  follows  :' 


John  Trim, 
Silas  Owen, 
John  Thompson, 
Thomas  Dallas, 
James  Acheson, 
Alonzo  Van  Arnum, 
G.  Vandermark, 
William  F.  Jones, 
Albert  Ten  Eyck, 
William  Walsh, 
Thomas  Mahar, 
Patrick  Fay, 
John  S.  Crane, 
John  Mitchell, 
Francis  Leboeuf, 
John  Cassidy, 
John  McCoun, 
Henry  Hunt, 
William  Fonda, 
Joseph  Booth, 


Alexander  H.  Frink, 
Edward  Nichols, 
John  Webber, 
Joseph  Chadwick, 
Michael  Higgins, 
Charles  W.  Orelup, 
Ammond  Winnie, 
James  L.  N.  Cranston 
William  Clafley, 
Lorenzo  D.  Sanborn, 
Jacob  Bishop, 
Frank  Lebard, 
Elias  David, 
William  Smith, 
Thomas  Scott, 
John  Brian, 
Levi  W.  Lamb, 
George  Brider, 
Thomas  Hogg, 
James  Kemp, 


John  Clute, 
John  Cahill, 
John  Bisconner, 
John  A.  Lynch, 
Charles  Maguirk, 
Joseph  Parker, 
George  TenEyck, 
Sylvian  Pattric, 
Robert  Jackson, 
Robert  Cleachein, 
James  McMurray, 
John  Maguire, 
Louis  Solon, 
Patrick  Gilligan, 
Peter  Masta, 
David  Colegrove, 
Charles  Gregory, 
John  Condley, 
Isaac  Auringer, 
William  Sheridan, 


1Up  to  January  1st,  1864,  the  following  disposition  had  been  made  of  the  drafted 
men: 

Held  to  service,  40,  of  whom  1  procured  substitute,  and  4  paid  $300. 

Discharged  for  disability, 16 

Aliens,   13 

Only  sons, 10 

Overage, 8 

Other  causes, 8 


156 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


1863. 


Daniel  Lanegan, 
Henry  Bedford, 
Artemus  Pennock, 
John  Johnson, 
John  Purdy, 
Alvin  Clark, 
Cilem  Labe, 
Daniel  Mclntosh, 
Daniel  Seller, 
Edward  Ryan, 
Patrick  Lacy, 
William  Williams, 
William  Keffa, 
William  Wild, 
Frank  McMarr, 
Michael  Carter, 
Patrick  Rabbett, 
Charles  Sims, 
George  Hume, 
Charles  Webber, 
Michael  McGuire, 
Charles  Vail, 
Sidney  Deitz, 
Thomas  Nuttal, 
Patrick  Scully, 
John  Hude, 


Edward  Kenney 
Edward  Bullock, 
Fred.  Brigamuel, 
John  Robertson, 
George  Grierson, 
Peter  D.  Niver, 
Daniel  Simpson, 
L.  Underbill, 
James  Lackey, 
James  McGafferney, 
Matthew  Sinophy, 
Hugh  Johnson, 
David  H.  VanAuken, 
John  Childs, 
Timothy  Moore, 
Maurice  Whitney, 
Alexander  McElroy, 
Adolphus  Juber, 
James  Traver, 
George  H.  Wager, 
Patrick  Cane, 
Joseph  Stephens, 
Samuel  Jackson, 
Samuel  Candly, 
Lawrence  Fitzgerald, 


Malachi  Ball, 
John  Galvin, 
James  Miggins, 
Samuel  Lemerick, 
Kearan  Agan, 
William  Benedict, 
Richard  Wilcox, 
David  Wheelwright, 
William  Smead, 
Samuel  Maguire, 
George  Thomson, 
Albert  Carr, 
Francis  Staats, 
James  Finigan, 
John  Daymond, 
Thomas  Jackson, 
William  Kinder, 
John  Fulton, 
Albert  M.  Brown, 
W.  Irving  Blakely, 
Robert  Boler, 
Thomas  Griffenty, 
William  Conliss, 
Edward  Bumhower, 
William  Mulcahy, 
Theophilus  Fountain. 


John  Johnson, 

The  reason  of  such  a  large  draft  being  levied  in  Cohoes, 
was  that  no  especial  inducements  were  made  to  encourage 
volunteers,  so  that  many  men  from  here  enlisted  in  Troy 
where  large  bounties  were  offered.  In  the  latter  place 
no  draft  was  made,  their  quota  being  filled,  with  a  hundred 
men  to  spare. 

Another  call  was  issued  in  October  by  the  president  for 
300,000  men  to  be  furnished  before  January  1st,  1864,  and 
earnest  efforts  were  made  to  enroll  sufficient  volunteers  in 
the  town  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  another  draft.  New  re 
cruiting  agents  were  appointed  by  the  committee  at  Albany, 
Malachi  Weidman  and  John  Doyle  being  among  those 
in  Cohoes,  and  additional  inducements  were  offered.  The 
bounty  for  veteran  recruits  was  fixed  at  $552,  and  for  new 
recruits  at  $3  7  V.  In  addition  to  this,  the  supervisors  offered 
an  extra  bounty  to  volunteers  of  $300.  A  town  meeting 
was  held  Dec.  10,  recommending  the  raising  by  tax  of  a 
sufficient  sum  to  enable  the  payment  of  the  same  allowance 


1864.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  157 

to  those  who  had  been  drafted,  as  to  those  who  might  be 
drafted  under  the  new  call.  A  meeting  was  held  in  Cohoes 
a  week  later,  of  which  W.  F.  Carter  was  president  and  D. 
H.  Van  Auken,  secretary,  to  protest  against  such  action  as 
unjust,  since  in  many  cases  the  extra  compensation  would 
be  unnecessary.  The  citizens  were  in  favor,  however,  of 
granting  such  relief  as  might  be  needed  by  men  drafted 
from  this  village,  and,  among  others,  passed  the  following 
resolution  :  "  On  motion  of  Win.  G.  Caw,  seconded  by  S. 
A.  Becker,  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars  (the  amount 
recommended  by  the  trustees  for  the  relief  of  the  drafted 
men  of  this  village),  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  ordered  to 
be  raised  by  tax  upon  the  taxable  property  of  this  village." 
A  committee  of  six  was  appointed  to  ascertain  the  number 
of  enlisted  men  which  should  be  credited  to  the  village 
quota,  and  see  that  their  names  were  duly  entered.  The 
quota  under  the  new  call  was  71,  one-third  of  which  had 
been  secured  by  enlistments  since  the  last  draft. 

In  January,  1864,  a  call  was  made  for  200,000  more  men, 
the  quota  for  Albany  county  being  993.  The  county 
bounty  of  $300  was  continued,  and  the  efforts  to  obtain 
recruits  renewed  with  vigor  ;  and  on  March  1st  it  was  an 
nounced  that  the  quota  of  the  county  was  filled,  with  a 
surplus  of  several  hundred. 

In  July  500,000  men  were  called  for,  to  be  furnished  before 
Sept.  1st.  Under  this  call  the  quota  of  Albany  county  after 
deducting  the  surplus  above  mentioned  was  1,600.  Messrs. 
Weidman  &  Doyle  were  reappointed  recruiting  agents  in 
Cohoes,  and  the  work  commenced  in  earnest.  The  supervi 
sors  offered  a  bounty  of  $900,  for  volunteers  for  one  year, 
and  the  sum  of  $100  to  every  person  who  should  bring  for 
ward  an  accepted  recruit.  This  proved  a  strong  inducement, 
and  the  county  escaped  the  draft,  Cohoes  having  done 
her  full  share  in  contributing  recruits.  Eighty-six  men 
left  in  the  91st  Reg't,  about  ten  in  the  12th  N.  Y.  Cavalry, 
and  a  number  of  others  in  different  regiments. 


158  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1865. 

The  continued  successes  of  the  Union  army  during  the 
campaigns  of  the  ensuing  fall  and  winter,  and  the  series  of 
brilliant  victories  in  the  spring  of  1865  which  marked  the 
overthrow  of  the  rebellion,  awoke  general  enthusiasm.  The 
news  of  each  triumph  was  received  here,  as  elsewhere,  with 
the  greatest  rejoicings.  The  demonstrations  on  the  occa 
sion  of  the  capture  of  Richmond  were  thus  described  in  the 
Troy  Daily  Times,  April  3d. 

"  Yesterday's  war  news  so  completely  surprised  the  peo 
ple  of  Cohoes  that  they  were  unable  to  control  themselves. 
In  honor  of  the  occasion  the  flags  were  raised  from  nearly 
every  staff,  and  some  of  the  mills  hung  flags  from  their 
roofs.  Bells  were  rung  and  whistles  blown  for  about  half 
an  hour.  In  the  evening  there  was  a  grand  demonstration 
by  the  citizens  generally.  They  formed  a  procession  headed 
by  a  band  and  paraded  the  principal  streets,  the  band  play 
ing  patriotic  airs.  Illuminations  and  bonfires  in  the  evening. 
The  operatives  in  some  of  the  mills  turned  out  to  help 
honor  the  event.  Richmond  is  ours  !" 

Similar  demonstrations  followed  the  announcement  of 
Lee's  surrender,  April  7.  Another  public  meeting  was  held, 
and  appropriate  speeches  were  made  by  H.  B.  Silliman  and 
other  citizens.  The  village  was  yet  in  the  midst  of  these 
rejoicings,  when  like  a  thunderbolt  came  the  news  of  the 
assassination  of  the  president,  which  cast  a  gloom  through 
out  the  place.  Private  residences,  stores  and  factories  were 
draped  in  mourning,  and  on  the  day  of  Mr.  Lincoln's 
funeral  there  was  a  general  suspension  of  business,  and  ser 
vices  were  held  in  the  different  churches.  On  April  25th, 
when  the  remains  lay  in  state  in  the  Capitol  at  Albany,  they 
were  visited  by  hundreds  of  our  citizens. 

The  restoration  of  peace  added  unusual  interest  and  sig 
nificance  to  the  celebration  this  year  of  the  4th  of  July, 
and  in  Cohoes  the  demonstration  was  unusually  large.  The 
following  is  a  summary  of  the  account  of  the  exercises 
given  in  the  Cataract: 


1865.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  159 

"  The  weather  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  clear  and 
pleasant.  As  no  pains  had  been  spared  by  the  Hon.  C.  H. 
Adams,  president  of  the  day,  and  the  committee  of  arrange 
ments,  the  details  of  the  celebration  were  perfect,  and 
nothing  occurred  to  mar  the  harmony  of  the  occasion. 
The  day  was  ushered  in  by  the  national  salute  and  ringing 
of  bells.  At  half  past  ten,  the  procession,  under  direction 
of  the  marshal,  H.  Brockway,  Esq.,  and  his  assistants, 
Adj't  Malachi  Weidman,  Capt.  Thomas  Calkins,  Capt.  F. 
Keating,  Capt.  Wm.  Shannon,  W.  Mallery,  Win.  Manning, 
Wm.  Conliss,  C.  Houlihan,  Jas.  Acheson  and  Michael 
Monahon,  commenced  moving  in  the  following  order  : 

1.  Co.  I,  1th  Heavy  Artillery,  N.  Y.  V. 

This  veteran  company  under  command  of  Capt.  Jas. 
O'Hare,  made  a  fine  appearance  and  commanded  the  plau 
dits  of  the  citizens  along  the  entire  line  of  march. 

2.  The  Car  of  Liberty. 

This  contained  the  Goddess  of  Liberty,  surrounded  by 
her  guardians,  art,  science,  agriculture,  etc.,  and  thirty-six 
young  ladies  representing  the  states. 

3.  Fire  Department. 

4.  Committee    of   Arrangements,     Orator,    Header    and 
Village  Officials. 

5.  St.  Bernards  Sunday  School. 

6.  The  Trades. 

The  exercises  on  the  island  were  opened  with  prayer  by 
Rev.  A.  J.  Bingham.  The  Declaration  was  then  read  by 
P.  D.  Niver,  and  an  oration  delivered  by  Rev.  A.  T.  Pierson, 
of  Waterford." 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war,  a  number  of  prominent 
citizens  of  Albany  commenced  making  efforts  to  procure 
the  erection  in  that  city  of  a  Hall  of  Military  Record,  in 
which  should  be  preserved  the  names  of  all  soldiers  who 
had  enlisted  from  this  state,  accounts  of  the  services  of 
individuals  and  regiments,  and  all  documents,  relics  or 
mementoes  in  any  way  connected  with  the  war.  Circulars 
were  addressed  to  the  different  supervisors,  and  contribu 
tions  solicited.  The  Cataract,  in  commenting  on  the  enter 
prise,  said  :  "We  trust  and  believe  that  this  town,  which 
occupies  so  prominent  a  place  among  those  that  contributed 
largely  in  men  and  in  money  to  bringing  the  late  struggle 


160  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  18fif>. 

to  a  successful  and  glorious  close,  will  not  be  behind  in  an 
undertaking,  the  design  of  which  is  to  perpetuate  in  memory 
not  only  the  noble  deeds  of  her  heroes,  but  also  those  of 
the  entire  state."  The  project,  which  was  carried  out,  was 
in  many  particulars  very  successful.  It  was  found  im 
possible,  however,  to  obtain  accurate  records  of  the  soldiers, 
and  in  spite  of  years  of  labor  the  lists  of  many  places  are  to 
this  day  imperfect —  Cohoes,  unfortunately,  being  among  the 
number.  The  census  of  the  village  in  1865,  gave  the 
number  of  soldiers  residing  here  at  the  time  of  their  enlist 
ment  as  514,  but  no  complete  record  of  their  names  and  the 
regiments  to  which  they  belonged  has  been  preserved.  As 
before  mentioned,  Cohoes  received  no  credit  for  much  that 
she  did  towards  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion  ;  many  men, 
because  no  company  was  forming  here,  or  for  the  sake  of 
large  bounties,  went  to  other  places  —  in  some  cases  out  of  the 
state  —  to  enlist,  while  others  who  were  enrolled  in  Cohoes, 
are  credited  to  Waterford,  Albany  or  Troy,  and  very  often 
under  the  general  head  of  Watervliet. 

The  names  given  below  have  been  obtained,  for  the  greater 
part,  from  scattered  notices  in  the  columns  of  the  Cataract' 
some  in  response  to  advertisements  published  in  the  city 
papers  during  the  past  autumn,  and  a  number  of  others  from 
miscellaneous  sources.  The  list  is  very  far  from  being  com 
plete,  and  it  seems  impossible  at  present  to  obtain  one  which 
shall  be  so.  The  preparation  of  a  full  and  accurate  record 
will  demand  a  great  deal  of  time,  and  careful  research,  and 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  some  one  with  leisure  to  devote  to  it, 
will  undertake  the  labor: 

Albion,  James,  Aug.  18G2,  Co.  I,  7th  Vol.  Artillery. 

Alston,  Win.,      "  "         "         "       "       "  also  3d  Regt.  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Ablett,  James  W.,          "         "        "       "       " 

Augsburg,  David.  Sept.  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Adams,  Daniel  M.,    "         "         " 

Arthur,  Win.  Jr.,       "         "     Co.  H,  4th  Heavy  Artillery. 

Arnold,  Jonathan  D., "         "         "         " 

Abbey,  Chas.  E., 

Ablett,  Wm.  H.,  1863,  4th  N.  Y. 

Adams,  George  M.,  Co.  A,  119th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols. 


1865. 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


161 


Abbey,  Win.,     May,  1861,  Co.  E,  3d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Aberhart,  John,    "         "         "         "         "         " 

Acheson,  John,     "         "         "         "        "         " 

Austin,  Geo.,  Sept.,  1862,  Co.  A.,  7',     i  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Ashdown,  Arthur,  Jan.  18,  1862,  Co.  K.,  93d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Atridge,  Thomas  C.  Nov.,  1862,  Co.  D,  177th  N.  Y.  Vols.  ;  also  Sept., 

1863,  in  95th  N.  Y.  Vols.  ;  also  Nov.,  1866,  in  Co.  H,  69th  U.  S.  In- 

fantry. 
Adams,  Cortland,  Pioneer,  June,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols.  ;  also  12th 

N.  Y.  Cavalry. 
Andrae,  Michael,  fall  of  1861,  in  88th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  Navy  in  1863,  and 

in  1864,  in  175th  N.  Y,  Vols. 

Ackley,  Oscar  L.,1  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  H,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Agan,  John,  "         "     125th  or  192d  Regiment. 

Alcombrack,  Jacob,  Griswold  Cavalry. 
Bray,  Joseph,    Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  Vol.  Artillery. 
Bailey,  Joshua,     "         "        "         "       "  " 

Blum,  Wm.  H.,    "         "         "         "       " 
Baker,  Chas.  H.,      Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Bentley,  Chas.  , 

Bennett,  Napoleon,     "         "  "         "         "        " 

Bush,  Lewis,  Aug.  1862,  125th  or  192d  Reg't. 

Bulson,  Geo.,  "        "         "  "        " 

Bayard,  Augustus  Willard,1"        "  Co.  H,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Brock  way,  Geo.  E., 

Blair,  Fred'k,  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
Bennett,  John,  "  " 
Bagley,  Wm.,  "  " 
Buckley,  Jas.,  Co.  I, 
Bannon,  Jas.,  "  " 
Brooks,  Wm., 


Buchanan,  Wm.  Lieut., 


Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


Brown,  Peter  A., 

Buchanan,  John  C., 

Brierly,  John,1 

Boss,  Chas. , 

Baker,  John  A., 

Bradshaw,  Geo., 

Brodt,  Wesley,1 

Ball,  Jerome, 

Boucher,  Geo. , 

Brower,  Geo., 

Barlow,  Samuel, 

Brennan,  Dennis,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vol  . 

Bray,  Wm., 

Buchanan,  Geo.,      "        "       Co.  L,     "      "          '      also    Co.    A,  22d 

N.  Y.  Vols. 

Buregard,  Oliver,  Co.  H,  56th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Brown,  Albert,  9th  Heavy  Artillery. 
Bryan,  Hugh,  May,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Benson,  Egbert  C.,    "  Co.  H,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


iDead. 


21 


162 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


1865. 


Beaver,  Lawrence,  Co.  F,  30th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Bump,  Alonzo,  1861,  77tli  Saratoga  Battalion. 
Bouchard,  Frank,  2d  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 

Barrett,  John,  Jan.  14,  1862,  Co.  D,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
Barrett,  Edward  S.,  1861,  Co.  D,  90th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Clark,  J.  B.,  Aug.  18, 1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Corcoran,  J., 
Carpenter,  Philip  H., 
Christie,  James, 
Connolly,  Samuel, 
Connolly,  James, 
Connolly,  Edward, 

Calkins,  A.  T.,  Serg't,  May  19,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Clute,  Hiram,  Lieut.,1         "  "  "        "         " 

Condron,  Wm.,  Sept.  17,  1862,  175th  N.  Y.Vols. 
Cowden,  Geo., 

Connors,  John,  Sept.    28,    "          "          " 
Cranston,  Jas.  L.  N.,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Craig,  F.  B., 

Condron,  James,  "         "        "     "       " 

Cahill,  James,  "        "        "     "       " 

Cole,  Lorenzo  S.,  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
Cline,  Wm.  H., 

Cranston,  Wm.  H.,1  Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Caisse,  Joseph, 
Craig,  Wm., 
Cole,  James,1 
Crossley,  Robert, 
Carpenter,  Wm.  G., 
Carpenter,  Albert  F., 
Cain,  John, 
Chambers,  John, 
Collier,  Wm., 
Chadwick,  Joseph, 
Carr,  T., 
Costello,  Joseph, 
Casey,  Thos.  B.,  "      "       "  " 

Cole,  Geo., 

Clark,  Joseph,  Co.  L.,  12th  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 
Cope,  Wm.,        "       "      "        "  " 

Cox,  Andrew,  Aug.  9,  1861,  88th  Illinois  Vols. 
Cole,  Abram  V.,  93d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Carroll,  John  C.,  Lieut.,1  1862,  Co.  D,  6th  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 
Cavenagh,  John  V.,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Carpenter,  Lorenzo,  43d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Coleman,  Silas  B.,  U.  S.  Navy. 

Crandall,  Burton  H.,  Aug.,  '62,  Co.  I,  52d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Cady,  Peter  V.,  "        "     125th  or  192d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Clute,  Adam,  1861,  Co.  B,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Chadwick,  P.  Remsen,        1861,  7th  Reg't  of  N.   Y. ;  entered  service 
same  year  as  adj't  of  100th  N.  Y.   Infantry  from  Buffalo;  promoted 


May  17,  1861,  Co.     E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 


Dead. 


1865.  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  163 

to  be  ass't  adj't  gen.  in  1862  ;  appointed  provost  marshal  gen.   of 

Florida,  1863. 

Cole,  Aaron,  42d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Chadwick,  Joseph,   1861,  U.  S.  Navy  ;  served  on  the  Wyandank,  of 

the  Potomac  flotilla,  and  on  the  sloop  of  war  Ossipee. 
Coleman,  Joseph,  12th  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Coleman,  John,   May  22,  1861,  Co.   A,  30th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols.  ;  also 

May  4,  '66,  in  Regular  Army. 
Coleman,  Morris,  6th  New  Hampshire  Vols. 
Coleman,  Thomas,  Co.  A,  30th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Drysdale,  Geo.,      Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 
Doyle,  M.,  "          "  "       "       "     " 

Darrow,  David  M.,  "  "  "       "       "     "  "  also  12th 

N.  Y.  Cavalry. 

Dailey,  Jeremiah  A.,  Corporal,  Aug.,  '62,  Co.  1, 7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 
Danaher,  Maurice,  Sept.  17,  1862,  175th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Donovan,  Michael,     "       "       "         " 
Deroche,  James,  1864,    "          "        " 

Donahue,  Wm.,  Aug.,  1863,  21st  N.  Y.  Griswold  Cavalry. 
Davis,  Thos., 
Drysdale,  John,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. ;  also  169th  N.  Y. 

Vols. 
Dorr,  David,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Deroche, ,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Dietz,  Stephen,  "        "          "  " 

DeLaney,  John,        Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Downing,  Michael,      " 

Deuel,  George, 

Denio,  Henry, 

Dennis,  Nicholas,        " 

Dunn,  Thomas,  " 

Dowd,  Patrick,  " 

Derby,  Wm.,  May  17,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Dunn,  Edward,  "     "       "          "         "       "         " 

Dodge,  Joseph  C.,   1861,  Co.  H,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Doyle,  Geo.  H.,  "          "         "  " 

Doyle,  Chas.  P., 

Durham,  Henry,     1862,  25th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  Capt.  Kingsley's  Co. 

Driscoll,  Simon  P.,          42d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Durham,  James,1  3d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Diehl,  Geo.,1  77th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Darnell,  Alfred,  Feb.,  '65,  Co.  A,  47th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Daley,  Dennis,    1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Daley,  John,       1863,  Battery  B,  55th  Ohio. 

Davenport,  Geo,    1861,  77th  Saratoga  Battalion. 

Davenport,  John,    "         "  "  " 

Davenport.  Chas.,    "         "  "  " 

Davenport,  James,  "         "  "  " 

Eastham,  Thos.,1        Aug.,  '62,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Eccles,  Francis  T.,        "         "        "      "         "         "         " 

Eccles,  Samuel  P. ,        "         "        "       "         "        " 


Dead. 


164 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


1865. 


En  Earl,  Merrit  D.,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Evans,  Joel,  "         "          "         " 

Everts,  J.  D.,  Co.  I,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Egan,  Owen,  "        "        "  " 

Egnesperry,  Francis,  Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Ebah,  John,1 

En  Earl,  John  H., 

Eastham,  Henry, 

Eagan,  Kyran, 

Ensio-n,  H.  A.,  Musician,  Hancock  Brigade. 

Eastwood,  John  H.,1  May,  '61,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Ellison,  Robert,  "       "  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Ellis,  Elihu,  Dec.  9,  '61,  Co.  D,  1st  N.  Y.,  Heavy  Artillery. 

Falardo,  Dennis  L.,  Jan.  18,  1865,  Co.  G,  Vermont  7th  Vet.  Vols. 

Falardo,  Daniel, 

Frost,  James,      Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Art  llery. 

Farthing,  F.  E., 

Frost,  Robert, 

Flannigan, , 

Finlay,  John, 


Fonda,  Geo.  F.,  Serg't 


May, 


61,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 


Fletcher,  Leonard  G.,  Corporal, 

Fairbank,  J.  W.,  Q.  M.  Serg't, 

Foster,  Wm., 

Flannigan,  Geo., 

Fry,  Edwin  A.,      Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Fitzpatrick,  Daniel.  " 

Farrell,  Matt,      4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Ferguson,  Wm., 


Aug., 


62,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


Fallen,  Peter, 

Fabyan,  H.  G., 

Falardo,  John 

Fonda,  Gilbert  M.,  " 

Flynn,  John,1        1861,  Co.  H,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Frisby,  Robert  W.,1 

Fletcher,  Wm., 

Fairbank,  David,      "         "        " 

Finlay,  John,  3d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Fletcher,  Thos.,  May,  '61,  Co.  E,  3d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Frost,  Norman  W.,  U.  S.  Navy. 

Forward,  John,  "  " 

Farrell,  Edward,  Sept.,  28,  1862,  175th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Fonda,  E.  Raymond,1  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  H,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Falardo,  Onesime,  "         "  125th     " 

Fletcher,  Jerome,  122d      "        " 

Frazier,  P.,  Hancock  Brigade. 

Fowler,  T.  S.,  Lieut.,  77th  N.Y.  Vols. 

Finlay,  Charles. 

Fowler,  Ralph,  1st  U.S.  Engineers. 

Gooch,  Thomas,1  Aug.  18,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Gauthier,  Joseph,    "      "        "          "        "          "  " 


i  Dead. 


1865. 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


165 


Gauthier,  F.,        Aug.  18,  1862,  Co.  I,  7tli  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Green,  Chas.  D.,1     "       "        "          "         "  "  " 

Gillis,  J.,  "      " 

Gormley,  Robt.,1      "       " 

Goodfellow,  Jas.  H.,  May,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.Y.  Vols. 

Gordon,  Van  Olinda,       "         "          "         "  " 

Green,  Geo.,  Musician,  Hancock  Brigade. 

Green,  Otis,  R.      "  " 

G  reason,  Egbert,          4th  N.Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Gallapo,  Joseph,  Co.  H,  "       "         " 

Genore,  J.  H.,     Co.  E,   "       " 

Gauthier,  Peter,  "       "         " 

Greason,  Edward,1  Aug.,  '62,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Greer,  John,1  "          "         "         "         " 

Greenwood,  Wm.,  May,  '61,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Goodwater,  Vital,  Co.  H,  " 

Green,  John,  died  in  Andersonville. 

Goodrich,  Fred.  S.,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols, 

Gould,  Alfred,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  H,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Green,  Chas.  N.,  Sept.,  '64,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y  Vols. 

Galbraith,  James.1 

Gage,  William  H.  L.,  Jan'y  4,  1864,  Co.  B,  16th  Regt.  N.  Y.  Heavy 

Artillery. 

Hart,  Richard,  Jr.,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 
Howarth,  John,  "         "          "         "          " 

Halpin,  James,  "        "          "         "          "  " 

Hastings,  Herbert,1      "         "          "         "          "  " 

House,  Rosen  J.,  May,  1861,  Co.  A,  2?d  N.  Y.  Vols.  ;  also  Sept.  '64' 

Co.  K,  91st  N.Y.  Vols. 
Hemphill,  Henry,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols  ;  also  1864  in  71st 

N.  Y.  Vols.  Sickles's  Brigade. 
Hatcher,  Thomas,  Musician,  Hancock  Brigade. 
Harvey,  Ruel,         Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Hill,  Joseph, 
Hemstreet,  Russell, 
Hemphill,  Jas.  T., 
Higgins,  Michael, 
Hayward,  John, 
Hayward,  Chas., 
Hughes,  Michael, 
Haley,  Joseph, 
Helmrick,  Joseph, 
Howard,  Geo.  W., 
Hay,  John  W., 
Heffern,  Christopher, 
Hibbert,  Henry  C., 
Hopkins,  John, 
Handy,  Isaac  F., 
House,  Theodore  M., 
Hewson,  Edward, 
Himes,  Jehial  W., 
Hardenbrook,  Chas.  C. 


Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


1861,  Co.  H,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


i  Dead. 


166  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1865. 

Harvey,  James,1  128th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Hartnett,  Daniel,  Jr.,  March  30,  1865,  Co.  C,  192d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Hay,  Francis,  9th  Artillery. 

Himes,  Jas.  K.  P.,1  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  H,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Hodgson,  Kendall,    "         "     2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Hodgson,  Lester,1  May  14, 1861,  " 

Hemphill,  John,  May,   1861,  Co.  E,  3d  N,  Y.  Vols.  ;  also  Co.  H,  22d 

Vols. 

Heady,  Wm., 

Hanson,  G.  W.,  Co.  I,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
Hudson,  Benj.,  1861,  77th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Henderson,  John,  June,  1861,  Co.  B,  30th  N.  Y.  Infantry. 
Hodgson,  John,1  Oct.  11,  1861,  Co.  B,  93d  Kegt.,  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Hill,  Barney,  Co.  F,  30th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Hemphill,  Thomas,  1864,  169th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Jerome,  Louis,  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Jump,  Joseph  E.,  "         "         "          "  "         also  in  10th 

or  177th  Regt.,  also  in  25th  Regt. 
Jackson,  John,  Aug.,  62,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 
Johnson,  Samuel,  May,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Jackson,  Wm.  B.,1  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Johnson,  Michael  H.,1  1860,  flag  ship  Sabine,  U.  S.  N. 
Jerome,  Joseph,  1861,  10th  or  177th  Regt. 
Jump,  Jos..  "       "  "          " 

Keegan,  F.,  Co.  I,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
Kelly,  Michael,        "       "  "  " 

Keeler,  Philip,1  50th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Keefe,  Thomas,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 
Kelly,  Patrick,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Keefe,  John,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Knox,  Geo.,  10th  Regt.,  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Keating,  Francis,  Lieut,,1  25th    "  "          " 

Kelly,  John,  Aug.  12,  1862,  Co.  H,  10th  N.  Y.  Vols. ;  also  1863,  Co.  H, 

4th  Heavy  Artillery. 
Lanahan,  John,  Co.  F,  30th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Lefferts,  Geo.,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 
Long,  Wm.,1     "          "          "        "         "        "  " 

Lannigan,  M.,  "  "        "        "        " 

Lawrence,  Robt.  W.,  Sept.,  '64,  Co.  K.,  91st  N.  Y.,  Vols. 
Linnen,  Thos. ,  "         "  "         "         "         " 

Loughery,  Hugh,1  Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Lee,  John, 

Lannigan,  Thos.,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Latta,  Thos., 

Latta,  John,  "         "  "         "         "         " 

Lefferts,  Geo.,  Jr.,  "         "          "         "         "         " 
Lowe,  Chas.,         1861,  Co.  H,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Lansing,  F.  A.,        "       "     B,    " 
Lounsberry,  Nicholas  D.,1  30th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Lynch,  John,  May  19,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Land,  John  E.,  April,  1861,  14th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  5th  Brigade. 


1  Dead. 


1865. 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


167 


Lounsberry,  Charles. 
Long,  Michael. 
Lounsberry,  Jas. 

Lounsberry,  Robt.,  Aug.,  1862,  125th  or  192d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Lynch,  Bartholomew,  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
Lamey,  Michael,  77th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Mangham,  Michael,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 
McCusker,  John,  "          " 

McDonald,  James,  "  "  "  "  "  "  " 
McManus,  James,  "  "  "  "  "  "  " 

McCarty,  John,1          May,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
McCready,  John, 
Manning,  Egbert  A., 
Monk,  Oliver, 
McDowell,  Rob't, 

Murphey,  Thos.  A.,  Co.  H,  "          "         '      Promoted    to 

orderly  serg't  June  9,  '63,  and  to  be  major  of  colored  troops  May, '64. 
McVey,  Patrick,  Aug.,  1863,  21st  N.  Y.  Griswold  Cavalry. 
Mooney,  Peter,       "  "         "         "  "  " 

Moore,  John, 

Mahar,  John,          "  "         "        "  " 

Manning,  Daniel  F.,  Sept.  '64,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Mallery,  Willard, 
McCulloch,  Chas., 
McGovern,  Rob't, 
McCready,  Geo.  B., 
McDermott,  Patrick, 
Molamphy,  Hugh, 
Morrison,  Wm., 
Murphy,  Wm., 

McManus,  James,  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery  ;  also  7th  Artillery. 
Mayhew,  Geo.,  Sr.,     " 
Murray,  M.,          Co.  I,      "       " 
Miggins,  James,        "        "       "  " 

Molamphy,  Rody, 
Mills,  Wm., 
Melahy,  Michael, 
Manning,  Wm., 
Miller,  Lyrnan, 
Manning,  James  F., 
McKinnon,  Wm.  R., 
Murphy,  Martin, 

McGaffin,  James,        May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Mooney,  Daniel,  "         "          "       "       "  " 

McMahon,  Patrick, 

Murray,  Michael,  "        "          "       "       "          " 

McCullock,  Wm.,          "        "          "       "      " 
Murray,  Henry,  "         "     Co.  D,  "       "          " 

McGaffin,  John,1  1861,  Co.  H,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Mather,  Geo.,  «     «       »         «          « 


Aug.,  1862,  '76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


1  Dead. 


168  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1865. 

McDonald,  Frederick,  25th  N.Y.  Vols. 

Mayhew,  Geo.,  May  31,  1862.  25th  N.  Y.  Vols. ;  also  Oct.  20,  '62,  in 
177th  N.  Y.  V.  ;  also  Jan.  4,  '64,  in  N.  Y.  Artillery. 

Monk,  Edward,  12th  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 

McCleary,  Daniel  B., 

Mooney,  Peter  B.,  Sept.  17,  1862,  175th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Manton,  Patrick,       "         "       " 

Monroe,  Gordon,  Musician,  May  1,  1861,  2d  Vt.  Vols. 

Mangham,  J.1 

Moran,  Jas.,  Battery  D,  1st  Artillery. 

McGuire  Thos.,  Aug.  12,  1862,  48th  Mass.  Vols. 

McGuire,  John,    " 

McCready,  Edward,  enlisted  at  Albany  as  substitute. 

McCarthy,  John,  8th  N.  Y.,  Cavalry. 

Musgrove,  Abbot  C.,1  Aug.,  1852,  Co.  H.,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

McMullen, ,  Aug.,  1862,  125th  or  192d 

Munro,  Thos.,  U.  S.  Navy. 

McCabe,  ,  42d  N.  Y.,  Vols. 

Moore,  J.  W.,  was  the  first  volunteer  officer  who  left  Cohoes,  having 
received  his  commission  as  Surgeon,  April  28,  1861.  Was  assigned 
to  Col.  Frisby's  regiment  and  resigned  soon  after  to  take  a  position 
in  the  Navy,  sailing  from  New  York,  May  25th,  as  fleet  surgeon 
of  the  Chesapeake  flotilla.  In  1862,  was  transferred  to  the  U.  S.  S. 
Vermont,  doing  duty  in  the  North  Atlantic  blockade.  In  1863,  was 
allowed  to  resign  his  position,  to  accept  an  appointment  as  physician 
in  the  Philadelphia  U.  S.  Gen.  Hospital,  where  he  remained  one  year. 

Monk.  T.  H.,  10th  N.  Y. 

Monk,  George,  N.  Y.  Regiment. 

McCormick,  John,  enlisted  1862,  Co  I,  10th  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 

Mooney,  Thos.,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Notman,  James,  April  18,  1861,  2d  N.  Y.  Militia;  also  Aug.  10,  '61, 
Cameron  Dragoons. 

Nugent,  Thomas,  engineer  52d  Mass. 

Nichols,  A.,  Aug.,  '62,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Nelson,  Nicholas,  May,  1831,  fo.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Nolan,  John  B.,  Sept.  17,  186S,  175th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Nichols,  Edw'd,  Aug.,  1863,  21st  N.  Y.  Gris^old  Cavalry. 

Naery,  Peter,  Sept.,  '64,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Norton,  Geo.  H.,  Co.  D,  30th  N.  Y.  Vols 

Norton,  Hiram  C.,  Co.  H,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Norton,  Wm.  P.,  Co.  C,  177th     " 

O'Hare,  Jas.,  Lieut.,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

O'Brien,  J.,  "        "        "        "        "      " 

O'Day,  Simon,1 

O'Hearn,  Timothy,  Sept.  17,  1862,  175th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

O'Donnel,  Thos.,         "      "       " 

O'Hare,  Hugh,  U.  S.  Navy. 

O'Neil,  John,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Osterhout,  Henry,1  1861,  Co.  H,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Ostrander,  Lorenzo,  1861,     " 

O'Neil,  Thus.,  25th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


Dead. 


1865.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  169 

O'Brien,  VN  m  ,  enlisted  on  field  at  Gettysburg,  93d  Indiana,  having 
deserted  from  the  rebel  army. 

O'Brien,  Patrick,  112th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

O'Brien  .Michael,  63d 

Owen,  Silas,  U.  S.  Navy,  went  to  sea  in  May,  1855,  as  third  apprentice. 
Ordered  to  the  Memphis  in  1861,  and  as  master's  mate,  served 
two  years.  Was  promoted  to  be  ensign  in  1863,  and  was  transferred 
to  the  Potomac  flotilla,  having  command  of  the  Primrose.  Dis- 
charo-edNov.  25th,  1865,  with  the  rank  of  acting  master. 

Parks/Robert,  Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols, 

Parks,  James,      "        "         "         "         " 

Pindar,  John,      "         "         "         "         " 

Plantz,  Geo.  H.,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Peck,  Wm., 

Paisley,  Thos.,  5th  Artillery,  N.  Y. 

Paisley,  John,     "  "  " 

Pynes,  Thos.,  Co.  D,  25th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Porter,  Jonathan  G.,  May,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Powers,  David,  Sept.  17,  1862,  175th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Putnam,  Lewis,  Corporal,  Co.  I,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Pulver,  Wm.  H.,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Pitcher,  D.,  1861,  Co.  H,10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Paxton,  Thos.,  June  15,  1861,  Co.  E,  1st  Long  Island  Reg't. 

Potter,  Lewis,  June  4th,  1861,  2d  Vet.  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 

Quinliven,  Michael,  30th  Reg't  and  in  Aug.,  1862,  transferred  to  76th 
N.Y.  Vols. 

Ryan,  James,  1st  N.Y.  Mounted  Rifles. 

Reed,  Wm.,          May,  1861,  Co.  E,  3d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Robinson,  Joseph, 

Rooney,  Bryan, 

Redmond,  Michael,  Serg't, 

Russell,  Joseph, 

Reinhart,  Harvey,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Roberts,  Henry,  " 

Rider,  Earl  D., 

Rider,  Geo.  H.,  "        "  "        "      " 

Rafferty,  John,1  "         u  "         " 

Robinson,  James,  Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Riley,  Hugh, 

Richards,  Henry,       " 

Rollowine,Fred'k,  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery  ;  also  as  substitute 
in  Albany. 

Riley,  James,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery, 

Roberts,  Wm.,  "         "  "        "         "  " 

Redmond,  J.,      "        "          "        "        "  " 

Rignor,  Alfred,  May  19,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Riley,  Lawrence,  Aug.,  1863,  21st  N.  Y.  Griswold  Cavalry. 

Reynolds,  John. 

Riley,  Jeremiah,  Co.  F,  30th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Russell,  James,  Serg't,  May,  1861,  Co.  B,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Russell,  John,  Pioneer  Corps. 


1  Dead. 

22 


170 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


1865. 


Syms,  Thos.  J.,    Aug.  18,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Shannon,  Wm.,  Captain, 

Scully,  M.  H., 

Shipley,  Geo.1 

Stevens,  John, 

Shaughnessy,  John, 

Scofield,  Joseph, 

Swartz,  John  B.,  1st  Serg't,  May  19, 1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Shaffer,  Fred, 

Spain,  Roger,  "       "       " 

Stevenson,  Geo.,  "       "       " 

Simpson,  Clark,  Co.  H,     "        "        " 

Skinkle,  Wm.  L.,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.Y.  Vols. ;  also  in  4th  Heavy 

Artillery. 

Smith,  John  H.,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Scully,  John  H.,       "      " 
Stapleton,  John,       "      " 

Seaport,  Christian,  "      "          "         "      "         " 
Scovill,  Chas,  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Shortsleeves,  Joseph,     "         "  "  also    10th   or 

177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Shortsleeves,  John,  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
Stevens,  James  K.,1     " 
Shaw,  Christopher,     " 
Shaw,  Isaac,  " 

Sitterly,  Martin,  Co.  I, 
Sitterly,  Henry,       " 
Sitterly,  G.,     '          " 
Stacy,  D.  H., 

Shepard,  Chas.,  "         " 

St  Onge,  Treffle, 

Sager,  Staats  A.,  Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Sheridan,  Bernard,  "       "         " 
Snell,  Joseph,  "       "         "          "        " 

Shaw,  Albert, 

Sitterly,  Abram,       "       "        " 

Sharp,  A.,  1861,  Co.  H,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Shields,  Thos. ,  "      "          "      "       " 

Safely,  A.  F.,  M.D.,1  "      "       " 

Shepard,  Joseph,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Scott,  Wm.,  "        "  "      " 

Steenberg,  Marvin,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  H,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Smith,  A.  W., 

Smith,  Michael,  Aug.  1st,  1862,  125th  or  192d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Scott,  Roger,         "        "        "        "        "     "        "         " 
Shields,  Peter,  Sept.  17,  1862,  175th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Shields,  John,  Aug.,  1863,  21st  N.  Y.  Griswold  Cavalry. 
Sager,  Alexander,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Storer,  Chas.,  169th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Slater,  James,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Shannon,  Richard,  12th  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 


i  Dead. 


1865. 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


171 


Silcocks,  John  E.,  Nov.  1st,  1861,  93d  Regt.  N.  Y.  Vols.,  Nov.  1st, 
1863,  transferred  to  U.  S.  Signal  Corps ;  re-enlisted  in  192d  N.  Y. 
Vols. 

Smith,  Martin,  Co.  E,  7th  N.  Y.  Regt.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Tuthill,  Clarence,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Tuthill,  Edward,        "          "         "         "        "     " 

Tuthill,  Daniel  D.,1  "  «'  "  "  "  "  "  promoted  to 

Sergt, 

Turner,  Adam,1  "          "         "         "        "     " 

Travis,  Chas.  S.,         Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Tompkins,  Monroe,       "         "  "         "         "          " 

Tracy,  Pat'k 


Tracy,  John, 

Trull,  Stevens  V.,  Quartermaster,  Aug., 


62,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 


Taylor,  Ammon, 

Torongeau,  Louis,1 

Tourville,  Chas., 

Tompkins,  Wesley,1 

Taylor,  John  H., 

Tripp,  Wm., 

Taylor,  Jacob  A.,1 

Taylor,  Alonzo,  "         " 

Tapler,  Alonzo,  "  "         "  " 

Torrey,  Geo.  W.,  3d  Corporal,  May,  '61,  Co.  A,22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Telfair,  Wm.  H., 

Troy,  John.  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Tobin,  Rob't, 

Taylor,  Robert,1  Sept.  17,  1862,  175th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Temple,  Frank,  May  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Taylor,  John,  2d  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 

Travers,  Michael,  Dec.,  1853,  Co.  D,  7th  N.  Y.  H.  Artillery. 

Upham,  Willard,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Upham,  Geo.  W.,1    " 

Van  Denberg,  Wm.  H.,1  1861,  Co.  B,  10th  or  177th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Van  Dermark,  Jas.,  "       "         "         "         " 

Van  Vliet,  Geo.  E.,1  "       " 

Vincent,  Hiram,  May  19,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Van  Der  Werken,  James, "     "       "         "         "         "         " 

Van  Der  Cook,  John  H.,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  H,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Van  Der  Cook,  Geo.,  "         "  "         "         "         u 

Verrnilyea,  Le  Roy,  Sept.,  '64,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Vanlouven,  Nathaniel,  "         "         "         "        "         " 

Van  Benthuysen,  Myron,  Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Van  Benthuysen,  James,     "         "     Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

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'63,  to  120th  N.  Y.  V. 

Van  Hagen,  Jesse,1  Co.  K,  34th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Westover,  J.,      Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Wormwood,  C.  F.,    "        "        "      "        "      "        " 

Warhurst,  Samuel,  "         "         "       "         "       "         " 


iDead. 


172 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


1865. 


Walker,  Isaac,  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 

Welch,  Michael,    "         "    Co.  E,    "         "       " 

Welch,  John,1         "         "        "        "        "       " 

Weidman,  Malachi,  May  19,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. ;  promoted 

to  be  adjutant,  1863. 

Weidman,  Wm.,  May  19,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Wood,  Giles  B.,      "      "      " 

Whitney,  Sheldon,"       "       "     Co.  H,    "         "         "   also  2d  N.  Y.  V. 
Winters,  John,      Aug.,  1862,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Wood,  John,1 
W hippie,  Madison,  "          ' 
Whitney,  James,      "          ' 
Whitney,  Geo.,        " 
Waterhouse,  Job,     " 
Welch,  Nicholas,     "          ' 

Westover,  Chas.  E.,1  Co.  H,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
White,  John,  93d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Wall,  J.,  Co.  I,  4th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 
Wilcox,  Alexander,  May,  1861,  Co.  E,  2d  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Welton,  Fred'k,          "          "  "       " 

Wands,  Jas.  B.,  10th  N.  Y.  V.,  also  25th. 
Welch,  Michael,  Sept.,  1864,  Co.  K,  91st  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Wilson,  James,1  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  H,  115th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Woollmer,  Fred'k.,  Aug.,  1863,  21st  N.  Y.  Griswold  Cavalry. 
Wickham,  Joseph,1  118th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Walters,  Thos.  Lieut.,1  Co.  C,  97th  N.  Y.  Vols. 
Welch,  John,  prisoner. 

Wildricks,  Thos.,  Dec.,  1863,  flag  ship  Hartford,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Young,  James,1  Aug.,  1862,  Co.  I,  7th  N.  Y.  V.  Artillery. 
Yates,  J.  L.,  Captain,  May,  1861,  Co.  A,  22d  N.  Y.  Vols. 


1  Dead. 


1861.        HISTORY  OF  COHOES.          173 


IX. 

1861  TO  1865. 

.LOURING  the  early  years  of  the  rebellion  the  local 
columns  of  the  Cataract  recorded  few  events  of  importance 
aside  from  those  connected  with  the  war.  The  feeling  of 
uncertainty  and  apprehension  which  prevailed  among  busi 
ness  men  prevented  large  investments  of  capital  in  new 
enterprises,  and  until  1863,  there  were  but  slight  signs  of 
progress  in  the  place. 

During  1861,  especially,  there  were  few  notable  local 
occurrences.  Afire  on  the  morning  of  March  25th  destroyed 
the  picking  room  of  the  Harmony  Mills,  which  had  been 
burned  two  years  before.  By  the  exertions  of  the  fire 
department,  assisted  by  Hudson  Hose  Company  of  Water- 
ford,  the  flames  were  prevented  from  communicating  to 
the  other  buildings.  The  damage  to  stock,  etc.,  was 
$10,000,  insured.  Another  fire,  July  15th,  destroyed  the 
saw  mill  of  Wm.  Burton  &  Co.,  at  a  loss  of  $8,000.  En 
gines  from  Lansingburg  and  Waterford  and  the  Ranken 
steamer  from  Troy  were  in  attendance  and  prevented  the 
destruction  of  the  adjoining  veneering  mill. 

Among  the  new  business  establishments  of  the  year  was 
the  brewery  on  Saratoga  street  below  the  state  yard  pro 
perty,  which  afterwards  was  conducted  by  Tighe  &  Robin 
son  and  John  Tighe.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  the 
paper  mill  of  Chas.  Van  Benthuysen,  on  the  site  of  Fuller's 
bedstead  factory,  was  completed  and  commenced  operations 
in  Jan.,  1862.  It  was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire  Feb. 
15th,  at  a  loss  of  $25,000.  The  cause  was  the  spontaneous 
combustion  of  some  cotton  waste  stored  in  the  fourth  story. 
Mr.  Van  Benthuysen  at  once  made  arrangements  for  rebuild 
ing,  but  not  on  so  extensive  a  scale  as  before. 


174  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1862. 

In  February  a  bill  incorporating  the  Cohoes  and  Troy 
Horse  Rail  Road  Company  was  introduced  in  the  legisla 
ture  by  a  number  of  Troy  capitalists.  John  A.  Griswold 
was  elected  president  and  O.  H.  Arnold  vice  president  of 
the  company.  Considerable  opposition  to  the  project  was 
at  first  manifested  in  Cohoes,  the  citizens  believing  that  the 
trade  of  home  merchants  would  suffer  largely,  and  also  that 
the  laying  of  track  through  the  streets  would  lower  the 
value  of  property  along  the  route.  The  friends  of  the  bill 
had  a  hearing  before  the  trustees,  who  appointed  J.  F. 
Crawford  to  appear  in  their  behalf  before  the  legislature. 
Mr.  Crawford  prepared  several  important  amendments,  which 
were  accepted  by  the  incorporators,  and  were  probably 
satisfactory  to  Cohoes  people,  for  no  further  remonstrance 
was  made. 

Another  matter,  which  received  considerable  comment  in 
the  Cataract  during  the  summer,  was  a  dead  lock  in  the 
board  of  trustees,  which  prevented  the  transaction  of  any 
public  business  from  April  28th  to  Oct.  6th.  The  board 
was  evenly  divided  in  politics,  and  several  members  absented 
themselves  so  that  a  quorum  could  not  be  obtained. 

A  new  knitting  factory  was  established  during  this  year 
by  L.  W.  Mansfield,  who  rented  the  building  now  known  as 
the  Empire  Mill  and  put  in  operation  three  sets  of  machin 
ery.  '  Mr.  Mansfield's  establishment  in  the  tobacco  factory 
building  on  Courtland  street,  passed  into  the  hands  of  Alden 
Frink  and  Bingham. 

In  January,  1863,  the  Cohoes  Skating  Association,  the  first 
institution  of  the  sort  in  the  place,  was  organized  with 
the  following  officers  :  Winsor  Stone,  president  ;  Rodney 


1  As  a  matter  of  interest  in  the  history  of  this  mill  it  may  be  mentioned  that  mid 
day  union  prayer  meetings  were  held  in  its  seaming  rooms  for  nearly  two  jears, 
with  an  average  attendance  of  forty  persons.  In  the  winter  of  1865,  a  course  of 
Bocial  singing  was  inaugurated,  at  each  evening  of  which  from  three  to  five  hun 
dred  persons  were  present. 


1863.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  175 

Wilcox,  vice-president  ;  A.  T.  Becker,  secretary  ;  P.  D. 
Niver,  treasurer ;  Daniel  McElwain,  Edward  Shepard, 
Joseph  Chadwick,  Peter  Manton,  Levi  Dodge,  directors. 
A  lease  was  obtained  of  the  pond  north  of  Simmons's  dyke, 
and  suitable  buildings  and  enclosures  were  erected.1 

This  year  was  marked  by  a  number  of  changes  in  Cohoes 
business  firms,  and  several  important  additions  to  the  manu 
facturing  interests  of  the  village. 

In  January,  Geo.  Campbell,  formerly  of  the  firm  of  Gage, 
Campbell  &  Gage  of  Waterford,  with  John  Clute  as  partner, 
leased  the  building  formerly  occupied  by  Jeremiah  Clute's 
bedstead  factory,  and  established  a  machine  shop  therein. 
In  March,  the  property  at  the  corner  of  Ontario  and  Rem- 
sen  streets  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  Joseph  Chadwick  and 
Geo.  Warhurst,  who  converted  it  into  a  knitting  mill.-  In 
June,  the  erection  of  C.  H.  Adams's  mill  on  Ontario  street, 
one  of  the  most  complete  in  the  place,  was  commenced.  It 
is  of  brick,  four  stories  high,  and  50  by  100  feet.  The  firm 
of  C.  II.  Adams  &  Co.  was  dissolved,  S.  D.  Fairbank 
retiring  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  Mr.  Adams  continued 
the  business  alone.-3  The  Watervliet  mill,  which  he  vacated, 
was  leased  for  10  years  by  Alden  Frink  &  Weston,  who 
had  also  become  proprietors  of  the  Halcyon  Mill  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year.  Another  enterprise  in  which  this 
firm  became  engaged  was  the  manufacture  of  axes.  The 
factory  belonging  to  Jonas  Simmons,  near  the  rolling  mill, 


1 A  skating  park  was  established  two  years  later  on  Oneida  street,  between  Van 
Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  streets,  which  remained  for  some  time  in  successful  ope 
ration.  Mr.  McElwain  was  principally  interested  in  its  management.  The  latest 
institution  of  the  sort  was  established  in  December  of  the  present  year,  by  A.  Paul. 

2 Mr.  Warhurst  retired  in  1867,  his  interest  being  bought  by  Wm.  N.  Chadwick. 
P.  R.  Chadwick  was  subsequently  admitted  to  partnership,  and  the  present  firm  of 
Chadwick  &  Co.,  formed. 

3  The  present  proprietor,  John  Wakeman,  succeeded  Mr.  Adams  in  January,  1870. 


176  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1863. 

was  purchased  by  them,  and  the  firm  of  W.  J.  Ten  Eyck 
&  Co.  organized,  in  which  they  held  the  controlling  interest. ' 

A  new  knitting  mill,  Wm.  Conliss  and  John  Carter  pro 
prietors,  was  also  started  in  the  building  formerly  used  by 
Wightman  &  Youmans  as  a  wheel  factory. 

On  August  15th  the  corner  stone  of  the  new  St.  Bernard's 
church,  the  site  of  which  had  been  purchased  by  Father 
Keveney  in  1861,  was  laid  by  Bishop  (now  Cardinal) 
McCloskey,  with  imposing  ceremonies. 

On  August  1 7th  Hurst's  woolen  mill  on  Mohawk  street 
was  destroyed  by  the  most  disastrous  fire  with  which  Cohoes 
has  ever  been  visited.  It  caught  in  the  picking  room, 
located  on  the  first  floor  near  the  stair  case,  and  owing  to 
the  combustible  character  of  the  contents  of  the  mill  and  a 
high  wind  which  prevailed  at  the  time,  spread  rapidly  from 
floor  to  floor,  cutting  off  almost  every  means  of  escape. 
Within  five  minutes  after  the  alarm  was  sounded  the  entire 
east  end  of  the  building,  containing  the  only  stair  case,  was 
a  sheet  of  flame.  The  stairs  were  very  narrow,  so  that  but 
few  were  able  to  pass  down,  and  the  only  means  of  exit  was 
by  jumping  from  the  windows,  in  doing  which  many  sus 
tained  severe  injuries.  Three  of  the  operatives,  Margaret 
Downey,  Anna  Lyons  and  Catharine  Donnelly,  were  unable 
to  escape,  and  perished  in  the  flames.  The  death  of  the 
latter  was  one  of  the  most  terrible  features  of  the  fire  ;  she 
attempted  to  escape  from  a  third  story  window,  but  her 
clothing  became  caught  on  the  steam  pipe  under  the  window 
sill,  and  all  efforts  to  free  her  being  futile,  she  was  burnt  to 
death  in  the  sight  of  hundreds  who  were  powerless  to  aid 
her.  Some  twenty  of  the  operatives  were  seriously  injured. 


i  On  the  failure  of  Alcten  Frink  &  Weston.  in  1866,  the  Ten  Eyck  MTg  Co.  was 
organized  with  the  following  officers  :  David  Cowee,  president ;  Geo.  R.  Seymour, 
treasurer;  R.  H.  Thompson,  secretary ;  W.  J.  Ten  Eyck,  superintendent.  This 
company  suspended  in  1872,  and  in  the  following  year  the  factory  was  taken  by 
Williams,  Ryan  &  Jones.  Their  successors  have  been,  Sheehan,  Jones  &  Co. , 
Jones  &  Ryan,  and  (July  1st,  '74),  M.  H.  Jones  &  Co. 


1863.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  177 

The  firemen,  aided  by  four  companies  from  Waterford  and 
Lansingburg,  and  the  Ranken  steamer  from  Troy,  succeeded 
in  preventing  any  serious  damage  to  adjoining  buildings. 
Mr.  Hurst's  loss  was  $27,000  of  which  $18,000  was  insured. 
This  calamity  gave  rise  to  a  great  deal  of  inquiry  and  news 
paper  comment  in  regard  to  the  means  provided  for  escape 
from  our  factories  in  case  of  such  disasters,  and  had  the  good 
result  of  causing  the  erection  of  adequate  fire  escapes  in  all 
the  mills  of  the  place. 

During  this  summer  the  horse  rail  road  was  in  process  of 
construction.  It  was  the  original  intention  of  the  company 
to  have  the  Cohoes  terminus  located  at  the  Cataract  House, 
but  this  was  abandoned,  as  not  being  feasible.  The  rails 
were  laid  as  far  as  the  junction  on  the  10th  of  October,  and 
an  excursion  car  was  run  over  the  road  on  that  day.  In  the 
following  week  Mr.  Simons  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the 
omnibus  line  to  the  company.  He  had  been  engaged  in  the 
business  for  fifteen  years,  and  under  his  management  the 
Troy  stage  became  an  institution  of  great  convenience,  12 
round  trips  daily  having  been  made  since  1859.  The  com 
pletion  of  the  road  was  thus  spoken  of  in  the  Cataract : 

"  It  is  one  of  the  most  important  events  that  mark  the 
progress  of  our  village  in  the  career  of  improvement.  We 
know  of  no  good  reason  why  it  may  not  be  made  advanta 
geous  to  the  place.  True,  it  may  tend  to  divert  trade  to 
the  city,  but  it  will  also  bring  the  patrons  of  our  manu 
factures  nearer  and  create  a  condition  and  feeling  of  intimacy 
between  the  business  men  of  the  two  places,  that  has  not 
hitherto  existed." 

The  road  was  well  patronized  and  soon  took  precedence 
over  other  modes  of  conveyance.  Ever  since  the  completion 
of  the  rail  road  running  from  Albany  to  the  junction,  the 
trains  had  entered  the  village  of  West  Troy  by  means  of  a 
Y  track,  and  stopped  at  the  depot,  a  short  distance  from 
the  ferry.  The  establishment  of  the  horse  railway,  however, 
so  far  diminished  their  business  that  the  railroad  company 
discontinued  the  practice  of  backing  down  the  Y  after  Dec. 
23 


178  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1863. 

21,  1863.  The  track  was  torn  up,  but  has  recently  been  re- 
laid  for  the  accommodation  of  the  Albany  and  Troy  locals. 

The  objections  to  street  rail  roads  seem  to  have  been 
speedily  overcome,  and  the  example  of  the  Troy  capitalists 
was  contagious,  for  in  the  same  year  the  Waterf ord  and  Co- 
hoes  Horse  Rail  Road  Co.  was  organized  by  gentlemen 
from  Cohoes  and  Waterford.  The  Cohoes  representatives 
on  the  board  of  directors  were  Hugh  White,  Wm.  F.  Carter, 
Wm.  G.  Caw,  Isaac  Quackeubush  and  Wm.  M.  White.  The 
stock,  amounting  to  $25,000,  was  soon  taken,  articles  of  as 
sociation  were  duly  filed,  and  the  right  of  way  obtained 
from  the  village  trustees.  Another  company,  composed, 
with  the  exception  of  T.  G.  Younglove,  of  capitalists  from 
Troy  and  Lansingburg  was  organized  the  next  year,  which, 
said  the  Cataract,  "  proposed  to  at  once  commence  active 
operations."  Nothing  more  definite,  however,  resulted  than 
a  quarrel  between  the  two  companies,  which  ended  the  con 
sideration  of  the  project  for  the  time  being. ' 

The  first  movement  of  importance  towards  the  incorpo 
ration  of  Cohoes  as  a  city  was  made  in  Jan.,  1864.  A  meet 
ing  was  held  in  the  trustees'  room  on  the  22d,  of  which  L.  S. 
Parsons  was  chairman  and  S.  Hayward,  secretary.  Re 
marks  were  made  in  favor  of  the  project  by  Wm.  G.  Caw, 
and  on  motion  of  Sherebiah  Stiles,  a  committee  of  fourteen 
was  appointed  to  ascertain  the  feelings  of  the  citizens  in  re 
gard  to  the  matter,  and  the  steps  necessary  to  be  taken.  The 
citizens  were  evidently  not  favorably  inclined,  for  no  further 
mention  of  the  project  was  made  for  some  time. 

The  following  notice  of  the  destruction  of  an  old  house 
was  published  in  the  Cataract  of  Jan.  30: 

"  The  building  known  as  the  Old  Junction  House  below 


1  Still  another  company  was  organized  Oct.  24, 1871,  with  the  following  directors : 
C.  II.  Adams,  D.  J.  Johneton,  U.S.  Bogue,  Murray  Hubbard,  E.  L.  Stimson,  Jas. 
P.  Crawford,  Henry  Brockway,  J.  W.  Himes,  Jas.  B.  McKee,  N.  W.  Frost,  C.  F. 
North  and  John  Wakeman  of  Oohoes,  A.  J.  Griffin,  of  Waterford.  The  capital 
stock  was  $25,000. 


1864.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  179 

this  village,  formerly  owned  by  Alfred  Phelps,  Esq.,  took 
fire  about  7  o'clock  last  Sunday  evening,  and  was  totally 
destroyed.  It  had  recently  been  purchased  by  the  Horse 
Rail  Road  Co.,  and  was  undergoing  repairs  preparatory  to 
being  converted  into  a  residence  for  their  employes.  Loss 
$1,000,  and  no  insurance.  The  building  was  one  of  the 
oldest  land-marks  in  this  neighborhood,  and  had  a  wide 
notoriety  as  the  scene  of  operation  of  the  Junction  Banking 
Association  of  years  ago." 

Numerous  improvements  in  the  manufacturing  establish 
ments  attested  the  good  condition  of  business  during  the 
year.  Mr.  Van  Benthuysen  commenced  the  erection  of  an 
addition  to  his  paper  mill,  south  of  the  first  building,  60  by 
100  feet  in  size.  The  Troy  M'f'g  Co.,  who  had  become  pro 
prietors  of  the  Bailey  Mill,  built  an  addition  50  by  125  feet, 
and  four  stories  high,  having  a  front  of  50  feet  on  Ontario 
street,  and  thus  doubled  the  capacity  of  their  factory.  The 
axe  factory  of  Ten  Eyck  &  Co.  and  Jonas  Simmons's  rolling 
mill  were  also  materially  enlarged.  The  latter  establish 
ment  had  never  been  in  complete  running  order  until  this 
season.  Mr.  Simmons  took  Edward  N.  Page  as  a  partner 
and  commenced  operations  in  the  spring,  employing  40  men, 
and  manufacturing  five  tons  of  iron  per  day. ' 

The  Harmony  Company  built  an  addition  to  the  Ogden 
Mills,  60  by  80  feet,  and  five  stories  high,  connecting  the  two 
original  buildings.  They  also  erected  a  cotton  house  40  by 
150  feet  on  Mohawk  street. 

The  manufacture  of  paper  boxes,  which  has  since  become 
quite  a  prominent  branch  of  Cohoes  industry,  was  com 
menced  in  July,  by  L.  R.  Dubuque  &  Co.  in  the  second 
story  of  Egberts's  Hall.  On  Aug.  1st,  a  similar  establish 
ment  was  started  by  Manning  &  Clute  in  the  building  on 
Remsen  street  now  occupied  by  Targett  &  Co.2 


1  In  March  of  the  following  year  Mr.  Simmons's  interest  was  purchased  by  Messrs. 
Morrison  &  Colwell  of  Troy,  who  organized  the  present  firm  of  Morrison,  Colwell 
&  Page. 

9  After  one  year  this  firm  sold  to  L.  R.  Dubuque  &  Co.  who  continued  until  the 
spring  of  1867,  and  then  sold  to  Isaac  Clute,  the  present  proprietor. 


180  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1864. 

It  had  for  some  time  been  the  intention  of  Mr.  Egbert 
Egberts,  to  whose  public  spirit  Cohoes  is  indebted  for  a 
number  of  substantial  improvements,  to  found  an  academy 
here  which  should  be  the  leading  educational  institution  of 
this  vicinity.  To  this  end  a  bill  was  introduced  in  the  leg 
islature,  which  was  passed  May  24,  to  incorporate  Egberts 
Institute.  The  trustees  of  corporation  were  to  be  the  pas 
tors  of  the  Protestant  churches  in  Cohoes,  the  following 
being  named  in  the  bill  as  first  trustees  :  Chas.  1ST.  Waldron, 
J.  H.  Hobart  Brown,  Fred'k  W.  Flint,  Henry  L.  Starks, 
Wm.  H.  Maynard.  Provision  was  made  in  the  bill  for  en 
dowment  of  the  institution  by  Mr.  Egberts  to  such  amount 
as  he  might  see  fit.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  trustees, 
held  May  18,  Rev.  Dr.  Waldron  was  elected  president,  and 
committees  were  appointed  for  selection  of  a  principal  and 
preparation  of  a  course  of  studies.  Deeds  were  received 
from  Mr.  Egberts  conveying  to  the  Institute  the  building 
on  White  street,  east  of  Egberts  Hall,  which  had  been  com 
pleted  some  time  before,  and  the  property  on  Remsen  street 
just  north  of  the  hall,  which  had  formerly  belonged  to  W. 
Twichell.  The  Institute,  under  direction  of  Rev.  A.  B. 
Bullions,  was  opened  for  the  reception  of  scholars  Sept.  8th. 

The  publication  of  the  Cataract  was  discontinued  from 
Jan.  to  Aug.  1865,  and  the  only  means  of  learning  the  local 
events  during  that  time  is  from  out  of  town  papers.  There 
appear  to  have  been  few  occurrences  of  importance,  how 
ever,  aside  from  the  rejoicings  and  excitement  attending 
the  close  of  the  war. 

A  fire  on  June  1st,  destroyed  Conliss  &  Carter's  knitting 
mill  near  Ontario  street,  and  several  small  buildings  adjoin 
ing,  occupied  by  H.  Thompson  &  Son's  mill ;  B.  Mulcahy's 
blacksmith  shop,  and  Warner's  needle  factory.  The  mills 
of  the  Troy  M'f'g  Co.,  Clifton  Co.,  and  Henry  Brockway, 
were  seriously  threatened  at  times  but  were  saved  by  the 
exertions  of  the  firemen,  who  were  assisted  by  the  Ranken 


1865.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  181 

Steamer  Co.  of  Troy.  The  losses  were  as  follows:  Conliss 
&  Carter  $7,000,  Thompson  &  Son  $3,000,  H.  Brockway 
$1,000,  B.  Mulcahy  $200,  Warner  $300. 

On  July  1st,  the  capital  police  law  went  into  effect,  and 
was  welcomed  with  great  satisfaction  as  an  improvement 
on  the  system  of  village  constables  formerly  in  vogue. 
The  police  district  according  to  this  law  was  divided  into 
two  parts,  the  Albany  division  and  the  Troy  division. 
The  latter  contained  six  precincts,  three  in  the  city  of  Troy, 
and  the  remainder  in  adjacent  villages.  The  Cohoes  pre 
cinct  embraced  Cohoes,  Green  Island,  and  a  part  of  Water- 
vliet.  The  first  members  of  the  force  in  this  village  were: 
sergeants,  Wm.  Buchanan,  John  McDermott;  patrolmen, 
Francis  S.  Staats,  John  Richmond,  Moses  Pickering,  Gus- 
tavus  Bailey,  Wm.  Hastings,  Jas.  Delve  and  Michael  Long. 
The  station  house  was  established  in  Hay  ward's  building, 
corner  of  Remsen  and  Ontario  streets.1 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  which  for  some 
time  had  not  been  in  a  flourishing  condition,  was  reorganized 
in  March,  and  the  first  officers  elected  in  August  as  follows: 
president,  D.  J.  Johnston  ;  vice  president,  H.  B.  Silliman  ; 
Cor.  Sec'y,  Wm.  S.  Smith;  Rec.  Sec'y,  Albert  Ten  Eyck  ; 
Treas.,  Jas.  H.  Masten.  The  association  rented  the  second 
story  of  Quackenbush's  building,  corner  of  Remsen  and 
Oneida  streets,  and  fitted  up  a  commodious  reading  room. 

The  necessity  of  improvements  in  the  fire  department  had 
been  for  some  time  felt.  It  was  evident  that  the  hand  en 
gines  in  possession  of  the  village  were  entirely  inadequate 
in  case  of  a  conflagration  of  any  size,  and  ever  since  the 
burning  of  Hurst's  Mill  the  matter  had  been  frequently 
agitated.  The  working  of  the  Ranken  steamer  of  Troy, 
which  had  been  present  at  several  fires  here,  gave  general 
satisfaction,  and  there  was  a  strong  feeling  in  favor  of  pur 
chasing  a  similar  engine.  An  offer  was  made  by  the  Har- 


1  In  May,  1866,  it  was  removed  to  its  present  location  corner  St.  John's  alley  and 
Mohawk  street. 


182  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1865. 

mony  Co.  to  furnish  a  first  class  steamer  if  the  other 
manufacturers  of  the  village  would  subscribe  enough  to 
purchase  another  ;  and  also  to  furnish  a  house  and  equip 
ments  for  one  engine,  without  expense  to  the  village.  No 
action  was  immediately  taken  on  this  liberal  offer,  and  the 
citizens  were  content  for  this  year  with  the  addition  to  the 
department  of  a  Hook  &  Ladder  Co.,  the  organization  of 
which  had  been  for  some  time  desired. 

Prominent  among  the  improvements  of  the  year  was  the 
building  of  a  new  dam  by  the  Cohoes  Co.,  which  is  one  of 
the  finest  structures  of  the  kind  in  the  country.  Work  was 
commenced  in  June  and  the  dam  was  completed  in  about 
four  months.  It  is  of  solid  stone  masonry,  1,443  feet  in 
length,  and  is  built  directly  below  and  in  connection  with, 
the  old  dam  of  1840,  thus  acquiring  additional  strength. 
The  gate  house,  built  of  brick,  and  containing  the  head 
gates,  was  not  completed  until  some  time  later.  It  is  218 
feet  long  ;  the  front  tower  is  31,  and  the  main  towers  are 
43  feet  in  height.  The  cost  of  the  dam  and  appurtenances 
was  $180,000.  The  engineer  of  the  work  was  Wm.  E. 
Worthen,  of  New  York,  who  was  assisted  by  D.  H.  Van 
Auken,  the  present  engineer  of  the  Co.,  and  T.  G.  Young- 
love,  its  agent.  The  contractor  was  John  Bridgeford,  of 
Albany. 

Business  at  this  time  was  prosperous,  and  several  addi 
tions  to  manufacturing  interests  were  made.  The  Erie  Mill 
on  Erie  street  was  erected  by  Wm.  Burton,  for  Messrs. 
Wm.  Moore  and  Jonathan  Hiller,  who  commenced  putting 
in  their  machinery  in  the  fall.  This  firm  had  during  the 
year  been  conducting  the  factory  in  the  Empire  Mill, 
which  had  been  established  by  L.  W.  Mansfield.  The  foun 
dation  for  the  Riverside  Mill,  on  the  site  of  one  of  the  build 
ings  of  Miles  White's  axe  factory,  was  laid  in  October  by 
Messrs.  Bogue  &  Wager.  The  Harmony  Co.  added  largely 
to  their  facilities  by  the  purchase  of  the  Strong  Mill,  which 


1865.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  183 

they  enlarged  and  remodelled  at  an  expense  of  $100,000, 
extending  the  building  30  feet  at  the  north  end,  and  putting 
on  a  French  roof  which  added  a  story  to  its  height.  Be 
sides  a  number  of  other  improvements  in  their  property  an 
addition  to  No.  2  mill  was  commenced,  which  was  com 
pleted  in  the  following  year  and  increased  the  capacity  of 
the  mill  to  48,000  spindles.  The  Cataract  of  Oct.  21, 
speaking  of  these  improvements,  said  : 

"  What  is  true  of  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  place 
is  also  applicable  to  our  local  mercantile  trade  and  other 
business.  In  the  fifteen  years  of  our  residence  in  Cohoes 
we  do  not  remember  a  time  when  so  much  activity  and  evi 
dent  thrift  was  manifested.  We  have  twice  as  many  dry- 
goods  stores  as  we  had  a  year  ago,  and  all  appear  to  be 
doing  a  healthy  and  profitable  trade.  The  same  is  also  true 
of  the  clothing,  boot  and  shoe  and  grocery  establishments 
of  the  place." 

The  census  taken  this  year  showed  a  population  of  8,795, 
a  decrease  of  5  since  1860.  The  falling  off  was  accounted 
for  by  the  census  enumerators  by  the  fact  that  among  the 
ignorant  classes  a  great  fear  of  the  draft  existed,  and  many 
persons,  supposing  the  census  to  be  a  new  enrollment, 
refused  to  give  any  information  concerning  their  families. 
The  same  trouble  was  found  in  other  places,  the  population 
in  Albany  being  reported  as  2000  less  than  it  was  in  1860. 
The  Albanians  did  not  wish  their  city  to  show  a  retrograde 
movement,  and  took  measures  for  procuring  another  census. 
Their  example  was  followed  in  Cohoes  ;  a  subscription 
paper  was  circulated  to  procure  the  necessary  funds  and 
a  second  enumeration  was  made  by  Sheffield  Hayward,  who 
reported  the  population  as  9,765,  the  number  of  families 
being  1,826.  In  the  government  census  the  capital  employed 
in  manufacturing  operations  in  the  place  was  stated  to  bo 
$2,840,900,  and  the  number  of  operatives  employed,  2,729. 


184  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1866. 


X. 

1866  TO  1869. 

_L  HE  prosperous  condition  of  business  of  every  kind, 
described  in  the  Cataract  in  the  latter  part  of  1865,  con 
tinued  with  but  slight  interruption  for  the  next  few  years. 
There  were  many  important  additions  to  the  manufacturing 
establishments  of  the  place,  bringing  new  inhabitants  and 
stimulating  every  branch  of  trade.  Building  was  extended 
in  all  directions,  and  blocks  of  stores  and  handsome  resi 
dences  appeared  in  localities  which  had  formerly  been  con 
sidered  almost  outside  of  the  village. 

The  early  part  of  1866  was  marked  by  few  local  events 
of  importance.  On  the  night  of  Jan.  10th,  the  stables  of 
the  Troy  &  Cohoes  Horse  Rail  Road  Co.,  near  the  junction, 
were  burned  at  a  loss  of  $18,000.  The  fire  originated  in 
the  office,  and  spread  throughout  the  building  in  a  very 
few  minutes,  so  that  before  any  aid  could  be  received  from 
the  fire  department,  it  was  completely  destroyed,  together 
with  all  of  its  contents.  Thirty-one  horses,  seven  cars,  and 
a  large  quantity  of  hay  and  feed  were  burned. 

A  suit  brought  by  the  village  against  the  company  to 
compel  them  to  conform  their  track  to  the  grade  of  Mohawk 
street,  and  to  pave  the  same,  which  had  been  some  time 
pending,  was  decided  this  month  in  favor  of  the  plaintiffs. 
The  following  comment  was  made  by  the  Cataract  : 

"  This  is  an  important  decision  not  only  because  it  vindi 
cates  the  action  of  the  trustees,  but  it  reestablishes  the 
grades  at  the  points  of  variation,  greatly  improves  Howard 
street,  compels  the  company  to  pave  their  road  from  White 
street  to  the  old  junction,  reimburses  the  village  for  the 
expenses  to  which  it  has  been  subjected  in  sinking  the  gas 
and  water  pipes,  and  cutting  down  Howard  street,  and  in 
sures  it  against  action  on  the  part  of  adjacent  land  owners." 

The  second  newspaper  established  in  Cohoes  —  the  Co- 


1866.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  185 

hoes  Democrat  —  made  its  first  appearance  Jan.  2  7th .  It  was 
a  weekly  sheet,  about  the  size  of  the  Cataract,  and  was 
owned  and  conducted  by  Michael  Monahon,  who  had  for 
twelve  years  been  foreman  in  that  office.  It  was  evident 
that  Cohoes  was  not  yet  ready  to  support  two  newspapers, 
for  after  a  brief  and  troubled  existence  of  four  months  the 
publication  of  the  Democrat  was  discontinued. 

In  the  latter  part  of  May,  ground  was  broken  by  the 
Harmony  Co.  for  the  erection  of  a  new  cotton  factory,  Mill 
No.  3,  on  the  east  side  of  Mohawk  street,  opposite  their  first 
building.  While  excavations  for  the  foundation  were  being 
made,  a  few  months  later,  the  skeleton  of  a  mastodon  was 
discovered,  an  event  which  awakened  great  interest  here, 
and  caused  Cohoes  to  be  for  some  time  quite  prominently 
before  the  public.  The  foundation  of  the  mill  for  nearly 
its  entire  length  is  laid  upon  a  bed  of  slate  rock.  At  the 
north  end  of  the  building  it  was  found  that  the  layer  of 
rock  was  thin  and  rested  upon  a  large  bed  of  peat  ;  with  a 
view  to  the  removal  of  this,  a  small  section  was  excavated 
to  a  depth  of  about  sixty  feet,  and  in  so  doing  numerous 
relics  of  earlier  ages  were  exhumed. 

The  first  discoveries,  made  in  the  middle  of  September, 
were  decayed  stumps  and  limbs  of  trees  which  lay  imbedded 
in  the  rich  loam  ;  a  week  later,  near  the  bottom  of  the  bed, 
the  jaw-bone  of  the  mastodon  was  unearthed.  The  event 
was  described  as  follows  in  the  Cataract,  Sept.  29  : 

"  Assuredly  there  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth  than 
are  dreamed  of  in  our  philosophy  !  Those  who,  during  the 
present  generation,  have  trod  the  earth  of  Cohoes  have  never 
taken  into  their  wildest  imaginings  the  strange  things  that 
were  concealed  beneath  the  surface.  But  the  late  excava 
tions  made  by  the  Harmony  Co.,  have  brought  to  light  the 
fact  that  a  huge  mastodon  once  dwelt  where  our  village 
now  stands,  in  an  age  that  has  been  followed  by  the 
mightiest  convulsions  and  upheavals.  Fifty  feet  below  the 
surface  the  jaw  of  this  monster  has  been  found,  and  has 
created  in  our  village  such  a  sensation  as  few  events  ever 
excited. .  .  .  The  jaw  is  somewhat  decayed  and  flaky  but  the 
24 


186  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1866. 

teeth  are  in  excellent  preservation  ;  the  length  of  each  jaw 
bone  is  thirty-two  inches  ;  the  breadth  across  the  jaw  at 
the  broadest  point  twenty  inches  and  the  extreme  depth 
about  twelve  inches.  On  one  side  is  a  single  tooth  four 
inches  in  length  and  two  and  a  half  in  width,  and  on  the 
other  two  teeth  one  of  which  is  six  and  a  half  inches  long, 
the  other  four,  and  each  uniform  in  width  and  shape  with 
its  neighbor  opposite.  The  holes  or  cavities  for  the  dental 
nerves  are  from  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter.  .  .  . 
The  excavation  has  revealed  other  wonders,  little  less  re 
markable.  Vast  volumes  of  oak  wood,  so  tender  that  it  can 
be  cut  and  removed  with  a  shovel,  are  intermingled  with  the 
peat.  This  wood  when  exposed  to  the  sun  or  fire  until 
thoroughly  dried,  becomes  as  hard  as  if  it  had  never  de 
cayed.  On  each  side  of  the  peat  bed  so  far  as  traced,  are 
perpendicular  rocks  into  which  huge  semi-circular  cavities, 
deep  and  smooth,  have  been  worn  by  the  action  of  water. 
There  is  but  one  solution  of  this  mystery.  The  cavity  of 
rock  where  the  deposit  of  peat  now  rests,  was  once  the  bed 
of  a  stream  running  diagonally  across  the  line  of  the  street 
and  towards  the  Mohawk.  As  the  peat  was  covered  deeply 
with  slate  rock,  it  is  evident  that  the  stream  had  a  sub 
terranean  channel  and  outlet  at  this  place,  though  perhaps 
an  open  river  above.  In  this  wonderful  revelation  there  is 
a  vast  field  for  speculation  both  for  the  geologist  and  the 
zoologist." 

Further  discoveries  were  made  from  time  to  time  within 
the  next  few  weeks  ;  the  skull,  tusk,  leg-bones,  ribs  and 
enough  other  bones  of  the  animal  to  make  the  skeleton 
nearly  complete  were  found,  most  of  them  in  a  pot-hole 
distant  some  sixty  feet  from  the  one  in  which  the  jaw 
bone  was  buried.1  The  remains  of  numerous  beaver  dams 
were  also  brought  to  light,  containing  logs  and  pieces  of 
wood,  cut  with  great  precision  and  neatness  by  the  teeth  of 
their  builders.  The  bones  were  kept  for  some  time  at  the 
office  of  the  Harmony  Mills,  where  they  were  visited  by 
hundreds  of  persons,  among  whom  were  Profs.  Marsh  of 
Yale  college,  Hall  of  Albany  and  a  number  of  other  scien- 


1  Iu  the  following  March,  while  making  excavations  on  the  outside  of  the  mill 
several  bones  of  the  fore-leg  were  found  in  a  pot  hole  fifty  feet  south  of  that  point. 


1866.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  187 

tific  men.  They  were  also  placed  on  exhibition  in  Troy,  at 
the  county  fair  and  in  Harmony  Hall. 

Several  theories  were  advanced  to  account  for  the  burial 
of  the  bones  in  the  peat  bed  in  such  a  manner  —  the  one  sup 
ported  by  the  highest  authority  being  that  they  were  thus 
disposed  by  the  action  of  moving  water  or  ice.  In  the 
former  case  it  maybe  supposed  that  the  body  of  the  animal 
had  floated  down  the  stream,  gradually  decomposing,  while 
fragments  were  from  time  to  time  detached,  and  what  re 
mained  was  deposited  in  the  hole  where  the  bulk  of  the 
skeleton  was  found  ;  in  the  latter,  the  theory  was,  that  the 
remains  were  imbedded  in  a  glacier  from  the  melting  edge 
of  which  they  were  dropped,  and  preserved,  first  by  a  cover 
ing  of  water  in  the  depression,  and  afterward  by  an  accumu 
lation  of  mud,  marl  or  peaty  matter  ;  that  there  may  have 
been  similar  remains  deposited  in  the  gravel,  but  that  the 
percolating  water  had  entirely  or  for  the  most  part  de 
stroyed  them.  At  a  discussion  of  the  matter  held  by  the 
national  academy  of  science  at  Hartford,  it  was  stated  that 
"  the  facts  brought  out  in  connection  with  the  Cohoes  mas 
todon  forever  set  at  rest  the  commonly  received  opinion 
that  the  mastodon  bones  usually  found  in  the  marshes  are 
the  remains  of  those  animals  who  visit  these  places  for  food 
and  drink." 

Several  offers  were  received  by  the  Harmony  Co.  from 
public  institutions  for  the  purchase  of  the  remains,  and  it 
was  thought  at  one  time  that  they  would  be  sold  and  the 
proceeds  given  to  the  Union  Sunday  School.  It  was  finally 
decided,  however,  to  present  them  to  the  state.  The  legis 
lature  voted  an  appropriation  of  $2,000  for  completing  the 
search  for  the  bones,  and  mounting  the  skeleton,  and  passed 
a  joint  resolution  tendering  thanks  to  Mr.  Wild  and  the 
Harmony  Go.  for  their  generosity.  In  the  following  year 
the  skeleton  was  placed  in  position  in  the  State  Cabinet  of 
Natural  History,  at  Albany. 

One  of  the  amusing  results  of  the  discovery  of  the  mas- 


188  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1866. 

todon  was  the  publication  at  different  times  of  letters  in 
several  newspapers  from  active  correspondents  who  had 
ascertained  by  talking  with  old  inhabitants,  that  the  skeleton 
was  a  humbug.  The  following,  published  in  the  Rutland 
Herald,  in  April,  1870,  is  a  specimen  of  these  productions, 
though  more  circumstantial  than  most  of  them : 

"  There  is  another  sell  in  Albany,  quite  equal  to  the  Cardiff 
giant  —  but  not  got  up  expressly  for  the  occasion.  I  mean  the 
Cohoes  mastodon,  so  called,  now  on  exhibition  in  the  Geolo 
gical  rooms  in  this  city.  It  will  be  recollected  that  in  1866, 
as  a  party  at  Cohoes  were  digging  to  secure  a  reliable  place  as 
a  foundation  for  a  factory,  the  workmen  struck  upon  the 
bones  of  a  large  animal,  which  some  of  the  savans  declared 
to  be  those  of  a  mastodon,  but  all  were  not  agreed  upon  this 
name.  Henry  M.  Gaine,  a  geologist  of  Saratoga,  wrote 
two  or  three  articles  for  the  newspapers  in  which  he  asserted 
that  the  teeth  of  this  fossil  were  not  those  of  the  extinct 
mastodon.  But  he  was  ridiculed  for  expressing  such  senti 
ments  and  the  term  mastodon  was  applied  to  the  skeleton 
of  the  animal  when  it  was  set  up  for  exhibition.  It  seems 
a  great  pity  to  take  away  this  name,  for  with  it  departs  the 
great  antiquity  of  these  bones,  and  with  it  the  finely  wrought 
theory  of  their  having  been  taken  from  that  huge  pot  hole 
of  peat  by  an  immense  glacier,  that  separated  the  different 
animal  parts,  and  deposited  them  in  many  different  places. 
But  we  will  tell  a  story  related  to  us  by  Mr.  Win.  J.  Brad 
ley,  of  Ballston,  N.  Y.,  a  respected  and  truthful  citizen  of 
that  place,  aged  sixty-four  years.  He  says  he  peddled  tin 
for  Wm.  J.  Benedict,  of  Schenectady,  for  two  or  three 
years,  and  for  several  years  he  followed  a  caravan  —  June, 
Titus,  and  Angevine's.  It  was  his  custom  to  travel  from 
place  to  place  in  the  night  and  sell  his  wares  each  day  at 
auction  near  the  tent  of  the  caravan.  In  the  fall  of  1833, 
he  was  going  from  Schenectady  to  Troy,  following  the  ele 
phant,  which  in  those  days  was  taken  from  place  to  place  in 
the  night  to  escape  observation — and  when  near  what  is 
now  Cohoes,  but  which  then  had  only  a  house  or  two,  he 
found  that  the  elephant  had  fallen  dead  in  the  road.  The 
keeper  had  sawed  off  the  tusks  and  was  cutting  the  body 
into  pieces  that  it  might  be  drawn  out  of  the  road.  This 
was  no  small  job,  for  the  elephant  was  one  of  the  largest 
ever  exhibited  in  this  country.  Mr.  Bradley  had  a  nice  span 
of  Canadian  ponies  on  his  peddler's  cart.  He  took  them  off, 


1866.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  189 

and  assisted  by  Aaron  Ackley,  then  of  Troy,  who  led  one 
of  the  frightened  horses  while  Mr.  B.  led  the  other,  they 
drew  the  body  off  by  piece  meal,  and  dropped  it  into  a  bog 
hole  some  six  or  eight  rods  distant,  the  identical  one,  as 
Mr.  B.  thinks,  in  which  this  so  called  mastodon  was  found." 
An  important  addition  to  the  public  buildings  of  the  place 
was  the  new  St.  Bernard's  church,  which  had  been  in  pro 
gress  since  1863,  and  was  this  fall  completed.  The  church, 
the  style  of  which  is  Romanesque,  is  160  by  80  feet.  It  has 
nine  rows  of  aisles  and  a  transept  with  eight  rows  of  pews, 
and  will  seat  1,400  persons  on  the  floor.  There  is  an  end 
gallery  capable  of  accommodating  500  children,  and  a  gal 
lery  for  the  choir.  The  sanctuary  is  semi-circular,  forty 
feet  wide  by  twenty-six  deep.  The  altar  is  of  white  and 
gold,  the  white  being  composed  of  marble  and  scagliola  ; 
under  the  altar  is  the  entombment,  full  size,  in  alto  relievo. 
Around  the  base  of  the  sanctuary  is  an  arcade,  twelve  feet 
in  height,  the  space  above  which  is  occupied  by  handsome 
frescoes,  done  by  John  Hild,  a  native  of  Munich  ;  among 
them  are  copies  of  Vandyke's  Descent  from  the  Cross, 
Raphael's  Assumption,  and  other  well  known  paintings. 
The  windows,  which  are  of  stained  glass,  are  each  memorial 
gifts  and  were  contributed  by  the  following  :  Jno.  W.  Har 
rington,  Richard  Powers  and  children,  Patrick  Gugerty, 
Cornelius  O'Leary,  Michael  Ivory,  Wm.  Healey,  Dr.  W.  F. 
Carter,  Mrs.  Peter  Manton  ;  iron  works,  cotton  mills, 
woolen  mills  and  citizens  of  Cohoes,  one  each.  The  cost  of 
the  church  with  the  lot  was  about  $106,000.  It  was  opened 
Oct.  14th,  with  a  grand  sacred  concert,  under  direction  of 
Dr.  Guy  of  Troy,  and  was  dedicated  on  Sunday  Nov.  3. 
The  ceremonies  of  consecration  were  performed  by  Bishop 
John  J.  Conroy  of  Albany  who  afterwards  celebrated  high 
mass.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Jno.  Loughlin, 
Bishop  of  Brooklyn.  Some  twenty  clergymen  from  differ 
ent  points  were  also  present  who  assisted  in  the  exercises. 
The  services,  which  commenced  at  10  A.M.  and  lasted  four 
hours,  were  attended  by  about  three  thousand  people. 


190  HlSTOKY   OF    COHOES.  1866. 

Several  new  firms  commenced  business  during  the  year. 
The  Riverside  Mill,  a  brick  building  50  by  100  feet  and  five 
stories  high,  owned  by  Bogue  &  Wager,  was  completed 
early  in  the  season.  The  capacity  of  the  mill  is  eight  sets  but 
only  six  were  at  first  run.  About  the  same  time  the  Erie 
Mill,  which  had  been  built  the  preceding  year,  commenced 
operations.  In  August  the  Hurst  property,  consisting  of 
the  mill  and  adjoining  tenements,  was  sold  to  Lyman  Ben 
nett  of  Troy,  for  $27,000,  and  the  Star  Knitting  Co.,  with 
a  capital  of  $50,000,  was  organized.  The  first  officers  were: 
R.  H.  Thurman,  president,  Lyman  Bennett,  O.  G.  Clark, 
Harvey  Smith,  R.  H.  Thurman,  trustees.  The  Mohawk 
Mill,  Samuel  Bilb rough  proprietor,  which  had  before  man 
ufactured  cotton  yarns  and  cloths,  was  during  this  year 
fitted  up  in  part  with  knitting  machinery. 

The  failure  of  Alden,  Frink  &  Weston  with  liabilities  of 
nearly  $500,000,  in  the  latter  part  of  October,  caused  great 
excitement  in  business  circles.  The  firm  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  in  the  place,  being  largely  interested  in  two 
knitting  mills,  the  Ten  Eyck  Axe  M'f'g  Co.,  and  other  con 
cerns.  Though  most  of  the  indebtedness  was  out  of  town 
a  number  of  citizens  lost  heavily,  and  the  failure  was  severely 
felt  throughout  the  village.  Aside  from  this,  the  year  was 
one  of  fair  prosperity  for  Cohoes  business  men,  and  the  gene 
ral  activity  of  the  place  was  increased.  A  number  of  build 
ings  were  erected,  among  them  many  residences.  The 
Harmony  Co.  made  preparations  for  the  erection  of  a  hun 
dred  tenements,  made  necessary  by  the  number  of  opera 
tives  who  were  expected  to  arrive  when  work  was  com 
menced  in  the  new  mill.  In  the  published  statistics  of  the 
company  for  1866,  it  was  stated  that  their  mills  had  during 
the  year  consumed  7,427  bales  of  cotton,  manufacturing 
therefrom  23,135,652  yards  of  cloth,  equal  to  13,145i  miles. 

The  close  of  the  year  was  marked  by  a  storm  of  wind  arid 
enow,  of  greater  severity  than  any  with  which  Cohoes  had 


1867.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  191 

been  visited,  it  was  said,  since  1836.  Travel  by  rail  road 
and  street  car  was  interrupted  for  three  days,  and  there 
was  no  means  of  communication  with  the  outside  world 
from  Thursday  until  Saturday  night,  when  the  mail  was 
brought  in  a  sleigh  from  near  West  Troy,  where  the  train 
from  Albany  was  snowed  in. 

In  the  early  part  of  1867  the  iron  bridge  across  the  Erie 
Canal  near  White  street,  the  contracts  for  which  had  been 
let  in  1865,  was  completed.  It  was  a  very  desirable  improve 
ment,  affording  access  to  the  lands  west  of  the  Erie 
Canal,  which  the  owners,  Daniel  McElwain  and  Judge  Mann 
of  Troy,  improved  and  laid  out  in  building  lots,  and  this 
locality  is  now  one  of  the  most  creditable  portions  of  the 
city.  The  construction  of  the  bridge  had  long  been  desired 
by  our  citizens,  and  was  authorized  by  the  legislature  as 
early  as  1859,  but  had  been  delayed  from  time  to  time  by 
the  state  authorities,  and  it  was  finally  procured  mainly 
through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  McElwain.  The  opening  of 
Ontario  street  from  its  present  western  terminus  to  the 
Erie  Canal,  which  would  make  the  approach  to  that  portion 
of  the  city  much  more  convenient,  was  soon  afterward  pro 
posed  and  the  matter  has  been  subsequently  agitated  seve 
ral  times. ' 

A  number  of  business  changes  occurred  in  1867,  occa 
sioned  by  the  failure  of  Alden,  Frink  &  Weston.  The 
machinery  which  had  belonged  to  them  was  sold  :  that  in 
the  Watervliet  Mill  to  A.  J.  Root  for  $42,000  and  that  in 
the  Halcyon  Mill  to  Hugh  Ranken  of  Troy  for  $16,500. 
The  latter  gentleman  organized  the  Ranken  Knitting  Co., 
with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  which  commenced  business  Jan. 
16th,  the  officers  being  as  follows:  Hugh  Ranken,  president  ; 


1  This  improvement  was  talked  of  by  the  commt  n  council  in  1873,  and  the  cost 
was  reported  at  $20,000.  It  was  deemed  inexpedient  to  take  action  in  the  matter 
at  the  time,  and  little  has  been  done  concerning  it  until  the  present  year.  A  peti 
tion  from  property  owners  on  the  street  urging  its  opening,  was  presented  to  the 
common  council,  Dec.  4. 


192  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1867. 

Giles  B.  Kellogg,  secretary  ;  Henry  S.  Ranken,  treasurer. 
The  other  principal  stockholders  were  Gen.  John  E.  Wool, 
Wm.  Barton,  G.  P.  Cozzens,  Geo.  B.  Smith,  D.  M.  Ranken, 
Win.  J.  Ranken,  all  from  Troy.  The  Atlantic  Mill  was 
purchased  by  Geo.  Warhurst,  who  retired  from  his  partner 
ship  with  Jos.  Chadwick.  Messrs.  J.  H.  Parsons  &  Co. 
moved  into  the  Watervliet  Mill,  and  their  old  quarters  in 
the  Egberts  &  Bailey  or  Fowler  Mill  were  occupied  by 
L.  Greenman,  who  moved  from  the  building  in  which  A.  J. 
Griffin  is  located.  Among  the  new  buildings  of  the  year 
was  the  iron  foundery  and  machine  shop  on  Canvass,  Court- 
land  and  Van  Rensselaer  streets,  erected  by  Fuller  &  Safely, 
whose  old  foundery  on  Mohawk  street  had  been  purchased 
the  previous  year  by  the  Harmony  Co.  The  machine  shop 
is  100  by  50  feet  and  five  stories  high  and  the  foundery  120 
by  60  feet,  one  story  high,  both  buildings  being  of  brick.1 
Several  other  concerns  were  located  in  the  building  —  the 
nut  manufactory  of  Geo.  &  Thomas  Brooks,  the  knitting 
needle  factory  of  Henry  Dawson  — both  of  which  had  been 
established  in  the  old  foundery,  and  the  Magnolia  Tape 
Mill,  owned  by  Thos.  Duncan.2 

Considerable  discussion  arose  during  the  winter  and  spring 
concerning  one  or  two  projects  relating  to  the  town  of 
Watervliet.  In  March,  1866,  notice  had  been  given  in  the 
legislature  of  a  bill  "  to  create  the  city  and  county  of  Water 
vliet,  embracing  the  town  of  Watervliet,  and  constituting 
the  villages  of  Cohoes,  West  Troy  and  Green  Island,  a  city 
under  the  name  of  Watervliet."  This  plan  was  again  re 
vived  and  received  some  slight  attention,  but  was  soon  for 
gotten.  In  April,  an  act  was  passed  providing  for  the 
erection  of  a  new  town  hall  to  cost  $6,000.  The  commis 
sioners  named  were  W.  J.  Wheeler,  supervisor,  Henry  D. 
Fuller  and  Geo.  H.  Wager  of  Cohoes,  Francis  Phelps  and  L. 


1  The  business  was  sold  to  Wm .  T.  Horrobin,  Nov.  1,  1872. 
*  Afterward  by  Clancy  &  Co. 


1867.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  193 

D.  Collins  of  West  Troy,  and  T.  E.  Kirkpatrick  of  Green 
Island.  Several  meetings  of  the  board  were  held  both  in 
Cohoes  and  in  West  Troy,  to  take  preliminary  action.  A 
proposition  was  made  from  Messrs.  E.  W.  Fuller  and  Wm. 
Manning  to  present  the  town  with  an  acre  of  land  on  Lin 
coln  avenue  in  Cohoes,  as  a  site  for  the  hall,  and  a  lot  in 
West  Troy  was  offered  by  Hon.  O.  F.  Potter.  Little  was 
accomplished  beyond  the  consideration  of  these  proposals. 
The  commissioners  from  each  village  were  naturally  desir 
ous  of  having  the  hall  located  in  their  village,  and  as  no 
amicable  conclusion  could  be  reached,  the  matter  rested. ' 

The  first  directory  of  Cohoes  was  published  in  this  spring 
by  Wm.  H.  Young,  of  Troy,  in  connection  with  the  directory 
of  that  city,  and  has  since  been  issued  by  him  in  the  same 
manner.'2 

The  question  of  purchasing  a  steamer,  the  agitation  of 
which  in  1865  has  been  spoken  of,  had  been  of  late  vigor 
ously  renewed,  and  at  the  tax  payers'  meeting  held  for  the 
purpose  of  voting  upon  the  sums  to  be  raised  by  tax  during 
the  ensuing  year  the  item  of  $5,000  for  a  steamer  was  in 
cluded  in  the  estimate.  When  in  reading  the  list  this  was 
reached,  a  letter  was  handed  the  clerk  from  Hon.  C.  H. 
Adams,  in  which  he  proposed  to  present  such  an  engine  to 
the  village  —  "  as  an  expression  of  my  personal  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  this  community,  where  I  have  resided  for 
nearly  a  score  of  years."  At  the  same  time  a  statement 
was  made,  on  behalf  of  the  Harmony  Co.,  to  the  effect  that 
they  had  ordered  a  steamer,  which,  though  it  would  of 
course  remain  in  possession  of  the  company,  would  always 


1  In  the  following  year,  the  West  Trojans,  foreseeing  that  if  the  hall  ever  was 
built  it  must  be  in  Cohoes,  introduced  a  bill  to  repeal  the  above  act. 

2  The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  names  in  each  years'  issue  since 
Cohoes  became  a  city : 

1870,....  3120.  1873,....  4766. 

1871,....  4146.  1875,....  6124. 

1872,....  4630.  1876,....  6376. 

25 


194  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1867. 

be  ready  to  protect  all  the  property  of  the  village.  An  appro 
priation  of  $6,000  was  at  once  voted  for  the  erection  of  a 
suitable  house  for  the  Adams  steamer,  and  with  this  slight 
expense  to  the  citizens  in  general,  the  place  was  provided 
by  the  liberality  of  private  individuals  with  means  of  pro 
tection  against  fire  second  to  none  in  the  state.  The  engine 
made  its  first  appearance  on  the  afternoon  of  July  6th,  and 
was  then  formally  presented  by  Mr.  Adams  to  the  trustees. 
Murray  Hubbard,  president  of  the  village,  responded  on 
behalf  of  the  board.  Henry  Brockway  then  presented  the 
captain  and  his  assistants  with  silver  trumpets  of  elaborate 
workmanship.  The  speeches  of  acceptance  were  made  by 
H.  B.  Silliman,  representing  the  company.  The  C.  H. 
Adams  Steamer  Co.,  which  had  effected  an  organization  June 
17th,  contained  36  members,  and  elected  the  following  as 
its  first  officers  :  president,  H.  B.  Silliman;  vice  pres't,  Jno. 
V.  S.  Lansing  ;  captain,  Laban  Yredenberg;  ass't  capt., 
Edwin  Hitchcock;  secretary,  "W.  Frank  Jones;  treasurer, 
Geo.  Campbell;  chief  engineer,  S.  G.  Root;  1st  ass't,  John 
Clute;  2d  ass't,  Samuel  Nuttall;  3d  ass't,  Joseph  Delehanty. 

The  steamer  purchased  by  the  Harmony  Mills,  named  the 
Robert  Johnston,  made  its  appearance  here  in  December. 
It  is  of  the  same  size  and  power  as  the  C.  H.  Adams  and 
finished  like  it,  with  the  exception  of  the  silver  mountings. 
The  Steamer  Company,  composed  of  operatives  of  the  Har 
mony  Mills,  was  organized  Feb.  25th,  1868,  and  the  follow 
ing  officers  elected:  president,  Robert  Johnston;  vice  pres't, 
A.  C.  Spencer  ;  captain,  Dan'l  Simpson;  ass't,  Jas.  Johnson; 
secretary,  Ransom  Stone;  treasurer,  Wm.  S.  Smith;  chief 
engineer,  John  A.  Link;  1st  ass't,  A.  S.  Stebbins;  2d  ass't, 
John  Ballard;  3d  ass't,  Edwd.  McCready;  board  of  trustees, 
D.  J.  Johnston,  Wm.  E.  Thorn,  A.  T.  Becker,  Edward  Foley, 
Duncan  Munro. 

The  necessity  of  securing  an  increased  supply  of  water 
had  been  felt  for  some  time,  and  early  in  1 868  a  movement 


1868.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  195 

was  made  towards  the  construction  of  a  new  reservoir.  A 
bill  was  introduced  in  the  legislature  directing  the  water 
commissioners  to  make  estimates  of  the  cost  of  obtaining 
water  from  the  Spring  creek  at  Crescent  and  also  of  pro 
curing  an  increased  supply  from  the  Cohoes  Co.  A  vote  was 
to  be  taken  at  the  spring  election ;  if  the  result  was  in  favor 
of  the  Crescent  project  the  bonds  of  the  village  were  to  be 
issued  for  an  amount  not  exceeding  $200,000  to  defray  the 
expense;  and  if  for  the  other  plan  for  an  amount  not  ex 
ceeding  $70,000.  A  citizens'  meeting  was  held  Feb.  llth, 
of  which  Murray  Hubbard  was  chairman  and  Malachi 
Ball  secretary.  A  communication  was  read  from  the  Cohoes 
Co.  offering  to  furnish  such  additional  power  as  might  be 
necessary  for  enlarged  works  at  the  same  rates  as  were  then 
being  paid.  A  series  of  resolutions  in  regard  to  the  matter 
was  read  by  H.  B.  Silliman,  and  adopted  by  the  meeting, 
to  the  effect  that  the  citizens  disapproved,  as  impracticable, 
all  plans  of  bringing  water  from  Crescent,  and  were  in  favor 
of  immediately  increasing  the  supply  of  water  from  the 
source  then  used,  and  of  the  construction  of  a  new  reservoir 
or  the  enlargement  of  the  old  one  to  the  necessary  size.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  draft  a  bill  in  accordance  with 
the  spirit  of  the  resolutions,  and  the  act  providing  for 
the  construction  of  the  new  reservoir  was  passed  May  8. 

The  Harmony  Mill  No.  3,  or  Mastodon  Mill,  begun  in 
1866,  commenced  operations  this  year,  the  first  cotton  being 
taken  into  the  pickers  February  1.  The  building,  to  which 
an  extension  was  afterward  built,  is  565  by  77  feet  and  five 
stories  high  with  a  fire  proof  wing  of  the  same  height  and 
50  by  150  feet,  in  which  the  pickers  are  placed.  The  fol 
lowing  figures  concerning  this  mill  were  published  at  the 
time  of  its  completion : 

"  In  its  erection  the  following  material  was  used:  1,000 
yards  of  stone,  3,000,000  brick,  4500  yards  of  sand,  30,000 
bushels  of  lime,  1,000,000  Ibs.  cast  and  wrought  iron,  800,000 
feet  hemlock  plank,  500,000  feet  pine  timber,  450,000  feet 


196  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1868. 

southern  pine  flooring,  400,000  feet  pine  ceiling,  and  1,000 
kegs  nails.  It  is  lighted  by  1,000  gas  lights  supplied  by  four 
miles  of  gas  pipes.  The  machinery,  which  is  of  the  most 
approved  kind  that  could  be  found  in  England  and  America, 
includes  70,000  yarn  spindles  and  1,500  looms.  When  all 
running  it  will  produce  60,000  yards  of  cloth  per  day." 

A  new  enterprise  of  the  year  was  the  cider  and  vinegar 
factory  of  Messrs.  Oliver  Bros.,  for  which  they  erected  a 
brick  building  35  by  100  feet,  and  three  stories  high  on  the 
corner  of  Remsen  and  Schuyler  streets.  A  new  knitting 
factory  was  established  by  Messrs.  Wm.  Nuttall  &  Co.  who 
took  the  Empire  Mill,  once  occupied  by  L.  W.  Mansfield, 
and  at  a  later  date  by  Moore  &  Hiller. 

The  number  of  French  Canadians  in  Cohoes  had  greatly 
increased  within  the  last  few  years,  and  as  they  are  almost 
without  exception  Catholics,  they  formed  an  important  part 
of  St.  Bernard's  congregation.  The  constant  growth  of 
their  ranks  at  length  compelled  a  separation  of  the  congre 
gations,  and  in  June  arrangements  were  accordingly  made 
for  the  establishment  of  a  Canadian  church.  A  census  was 
taken  of  the  number  of  French  Catholics  then  in  the  village, 
under  direction  of  Joseph  LaBoeuf,  chairman  of  the  com 
mittee,  resulting  as  follows:  "Heads  of  families,  387;  com 
municants,  1,470:  total  number  of  persons,  2,209."  Applica 
tion  was  made  to  Bishop  Conroy  for  the  appointment  of  a 
French  priest,  and  provision  was  made  for  a  room  in  which 
to  hold  service  until  a  church  could  be  erected.  The  pastor, 
Rev.  L.  H.  Saugon,  arrived  in  Cohoes  in  August,  and  at 
once  commenced  earnest  efforts  to  raise  the  necessary  build 
ing  fund.  A  lot  was  purchased  on  Congress  street,  between 
White  and  Hart  streets,  and  on  Nov.  22d  the  corner  stone 
of  St.  Joseph's  church  was  laid  with  appropriate  ceremonies 
by  Bishop  Conroy. 

In  January,  1869,  the  project  for  incorporating  Cohoes  as 
a  city,  which  had  been  under  consideration  at  intervals  for 
several  years,  assumed  definite  shape,  and  a  charter  was 


1869.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  197 

drawn  up  for  presentation  to  the  legislature.  Some  discussion 
on  the  subject  arose,  and  the  Cataract  for  several  months 
was  occupied  with  letters  on  both  sides  of  the  question. 
The  principal  grounds  of  opposition,  as  stated  in  these  com 
munications,  was  that  under  the  city  charter  the  government 
would  fall  into  the  hands  of  a  political  rabble,  and  that 
the  better  class  of  citizens  would  have  little  or  no  voice  in 
the  management  of  affairs  ;  it  was  also  held  that  greater 
opportunity  would  be  furnished  for  extravagant  expenditure 
and  that  taxation  would  be  largely  increased.  The  friends 
of  the  bill  of  course  denied  that  there  was  any  more  chance 
of  such  calamities  befalling  Cohoes  as  a  city  than  there  was 
if  the  village  government  continued,  and  claimed  further 
more  that  the  rates  of  taxation  would  be  in  some  particulars 
reduced,  since  Cohoes  would  no  longer  have  to  contribute 
to  the  support  of  a  town  government,  in  which  it  was 
allowed  to  have  little  share.  The  Cataract  was  strongly 
in  favor  of  the  bill,  and  contained  a  number  of  articles 
stating  the  reasons  for  advocating  its  passage,  among  which 
was  the  following  : 

"  Thus  far  in  the  existence  of  Cohoes,  there  has  seemed 
to  be  a  lack  of  local  pride  on  the  part  of  its  inhabitants. 
Our  proximity  to  Troy  and  Albany  has  lead  us,  naturally, 
to  depend  upon  them  in  a  large  degree  for  mercantile  facil 
ities,  and  as  a  consequence,  Cohoes  has  been  looked  upon 
by  the  outside  world  more  as  a  suburb  of  those  two  cities 
than  as  a  live,  independent  municipality  of  itself.  But  the 
moment  Cohoes  assumes  the  proportions  of  a  city,  and  fol 
lows  it  up  with  a  proper  —  but  not  overweening  sense  of  its 
own  importance,  we  shall  feel  the  result  favorably.  Our  citi 
zens  will  be  more  self  reliant,  and  pride  in  our  growing  city 
will  keep  at  home  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  which 
now  go  to  enrich  the  mercantile  trade  of  adjoining  cities." 

The  bill,  which  had  been  considerably  modified  since  the 
first  draft,  passed  the  assembly  April  15th,  but  did  not 
become  a  law  until  May  19th.  This  delay  on  the  part  of 
the  senate,  and  the  insertion  in  the  act  of  a  provision  by 
which  it  was  not  to  take  effect  until  1870,  were  due  to  the 


198  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1869. 

efforts  of  its  opposers,  as  was  stated  at  the  time,  and  were 
accounted  for  by  political  reasons. 

The  velocipede  excitement,  prevalent  throughout  the 
country  during  this  year,  reached  Cohoes  in  the  winter,  and 
furnished  material  for  a  number  of  paragraphs  in  the  local 
paper.  The  appearance  on  the  streets  of  the  first  velocipede 
was  thus  described  : 

"  Velocipedism  is  becoming  a  mania  about  these  days. 
On  Thursday  evening,  Feb.  24,  Mr.  Chas.  P.  Craig  showed 
himself  astride  of  one  on  Remsen  street,  to  the  great  delight 
of  all  the  people.  Shout  after  shout  went  up  from  the  gaz 
ing  multitude,  especially  when  the  machine  careened  and 
dumped  the  rider.  On  Saturday  morning  he  gave  us  a  free 
exhibition,  followed  by  scores  of  the  gamins  of  Cohoes." 

A  rink  was  opened  on  Factory  street,  in  the  hall  at  the 
rear  of  the  hotel,  which  remained  in  successful  operation  for 
some  time.  Comparatively  few  of  the  vehicles  were  seen 
on  the  street,  however,  and  the  furore  in  regard  to  them 
was  much  less  than  in  adjoining  cities,  perhaps  because 
Cohoes  streets  at  the  time  were  not  adapted  for  that  sort 
of  travel. 

There  were  during  this  year  several  important  additions 
to  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  place.  Two  new  knit 
ting  mills  were  established,  one  by  Himes  &  Vail,  who 
leased  the  building  on  Mohawk  street,  which  had  formerly 
been  occupied  by  Parsons  &  Co.,  and  put  in  operation  six 
sets  of  machinery  ;  the  other  by  the  Alaska  Knitting  Co., 
located  in  Fuller  &  Safely's  new  building.  The  officers 
were  :  Simeon  Holroyd,  secretary  ;  Robt.  Safely,  treasurer  ; 
Horace  Fisher,  agent. '  On  Courtland  street,  corner  of  Can 
vass,  a  brick  building,  50  by  100  feet  and  three  stories  high, 
was  erected  by  John  Land  &  Sons,  for  a  sawing  and  planing 
mill.  The  foundery  and  machine  shop  on  Van  Rensselaer 
street  near  Courtland,  was  established  in  the  latter  part  of 


1  This  establishment  was  removed  to  Waterford  in  the  latter  part  of  1871. 


1869.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  199 

the  year  by  Win.  T.  Horrobin.  The  foundery  building  is 
one  story  high,  100  by  60  feet,  and  the  machine  shop  is  three 
stories  high,  100  by  50  feet.  Extensive  additions,  embrac 
ing  blacksmith  shop,  pattern  house,  etc.,  were  soon  after 
ward  made.  A  number  of  residences  and  stores  were  also 
erected.  Prominent  among  these  new  buildings  was  the  block 
erected  by  C.  H.  Adams  on  Remsen  street,  below  Ontario.  It 
is  three  stories  in  height,  built  of  Philadelphia  brick,  with  an 
ornamental  iron  front.  The  plate  glass  windows  in  the  stores 
on  the  ground  floor  were  the  first  ones  introduced  in  Cohoes. 
On  the  site  of  the  old  Heamstreet  tavern,  on  Mohawk 
street  one  door  below  Factory,  a  brick  block  three  stories 
high  was  erected  by  Mr.  Witbeck  of  Troy.  Among  the 
public  improvements  were  the  engine  houses  on  Main  street 
and  Johnston  avenue  and  a  new  school  house  corner  of 
Cataract  and  School  streets.  Several  additions  and  im 
provements  were  also  made  on  church  property.  An  ex 
tension  was  built  on  the  Presbyterian  church  at  a  cost  of 
$7,000,  by  which  its  capacity  was  doubled;  as  enlarged  the 
building  is  95  by  48  feet  with  transepts  on  the  south  59  feet 
in  width,  and  contains  172  pews,  capable  of  seating  700 
people.  It  was  rededicated  Jan.  20,  1870.  Adjoining  St. 
Bernard's  church  a  parsonage  was  built  40  by  40  feet,  three 
stories  high,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  The  Baptist  congregation 
also  commenced  the  erection  of  a  parsonage  on  the  lot  south 
of  the  church,  which  was  completed  in  the  following  year, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $5,000.  St.  Joseph's  church  was  dedicated 
Dec.  12th,  with  the  usual  ceremonies.  The  first  mass  was 
celebrated  by  Rev.  Thos.  Keveney  —  the  pastor,  Father  Sau- 
gon,  being  on  account  of  illness  unable  to  attend. 

A  series  of  articles  appeared  in  the  Albany  Express  during 
the  year  on  the  growth  and  manufactures  of  Cohoes.  These 
were  revised  and  expanded  by  Mr.  Edward  Fitzgerald,  and 
published  in  a  pamphlet  of  55  pages  entitled  The  City  of 
Cohoes.  Its  History,  Growth  and  Prospects,  Its  Great 


200  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1869. 

Manufactories.  The  contents  were  chiefly  descriptions  of 
the  manufacturing  establishments  then  in  operation  and 
statistics  of  their  production.  At  the  close  of  the  publica 
tion  appeared  the  following  summary: 

"At  present  the  city  numbers  over  16,000  inhabitants. 
Its  manufactories  comprise  six  extensive  cotton  mills, 
running  203,000  spindles,  eighteen  large  knitting  mills,  two 
foundries,  three  machine  shops,  a  rolling  mill,  two  axe 
factories,  a  planing  mill,  a  sawing  and  veneering  establish 
ment,  and  many  other  large  and  flourishing  industrial  con 
cerns.  The  aggregate  capital  invested  in  manufacturing 
operations  is  estimated  at  $20,000,000.  The  mercantile  in 
terests  of  the  city  are  represented  by  over  300  large  and 
prosperous  retail  establishments.  The  religious  wants  of 
the  community  are  supplied  by  six  large  and  magnificent 
churches.  Two  splendid  steam  fire  engines  of  great  power 
are  at  the  service  of  the  fire  department." 


1870.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  201 


XL 

1870  TO  1876. 

Jr  ROM  the  time  that  Cohoes  assumed  the  dignity  of  a 
city,  a  marked  change  was  apparent  in  its  general  character. 
A  certain  degree  of  local  pride  became  developed,  which  it 
must  be  confessed  had  previously  been  wanting,  and  the 
results  were  a  wonderful  improvement  in  the  appearance  of 
the  place,  arid  the  provision  of  many  conveniences  which  had 
long  been  needed  for  the  comfort  and  w7ell-being  of  its 
citizens.  The  gradual  accomplishment  of  these  changes, 
and  the  evidences  of  substantial  growth  which  they  afford, 
form  a  notable  feature  of  the  history  of  Cohoes  for  the  next 
few  years. 

The  first  election  under  the  city  charter  was  held  April 
12,  1870.  It  passed  off  very  quietly,  and  the  number  of 
votes  polled  (1,850),  was  much  larger  than  at  any  previous 
election.  The  city  government  was  formally  organized  on 
the  evening  of  Tuesday,  April  19th.  After  the  meeting  was 
called  to  order  and  the  mayor  had  administered  the  necessary 
oaths  of  office,  the  aldermen  proceeded  to  act  as  a  board  of 
canvassers,  and  the  result  of  the  election  was  officially 
announced.  The  privilege  of  the  floor  was  then  obtained 
by  Augustus  Ellmaker,  late  president  of  the  village,  who, 
in  behalf  of  the  late  trustees,  presented  an  elegant  watch  to 
Malachi  Ball,  who  for  six  years  previous  had  been  the  effi 
cient  clerk  of  the  village  and  board  of  education.  After 
this  agreeable  incident,  the  mayor  delivered  his  inaugural  — 
a  short  but  comprehensive  address,  in  which  were  stated 
the  financial  condition  of  the  city,  and  the  improvements 
most  needed.  The  appointments  were  then  made,  and  the 
standing  committees  announced.  The  meeting  was  spoken 
of  in  the  Cataract  as  follows  : 
26 


202  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1870. 

"After  the  transaction  of  a  few  minor  items  of  business 
the  board  adjourned,  having  had  a  session  that  was  remark 
able  for  its  unanimity  and  the  good  order  that  prevailed. 
The  new  officers  seemed  to  slip  into  the  routine  of  their 
positions  as  easily  as  if  they  had  been  to  the  manner  born; 
and  those  who  expected  a  hitch  in  the  proceedings  were 
disappointed  in  their  expectations.  The  mayor  presided 
with  a  dignity  becoming  his  high  official  position,  and  in 
the  cast  of  his  committees  evinced  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  needs  of  the  several  departments  and  a  just  estimate 
of  the  peculiar  qualifications  of  the  gentlemen  for  the 
various  positions  to  be  filled.  We  congratulate  our  citizens 
upon  the  auspicious  commencement  of  our  career  as  a  city 
and  trust  that  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the  friends 
of  the  new  system  may  be  realized,  and  the  fears  and  appre 
hensions  of  its  opponents  prove  unfounded." 

The  capital  police  law  of  1805,  though  excellent  in  many 
of  its  features,  had  for  some  time  been  made  the  subject  of 
complaint,  and  during  the  winter  of  1870,  steps  were  taken 
by  several  of  the  cities  and  villages  which  were  under  its 
provisions  to  procure  laws  creating  a  different  system. 
Cohoes  was  one  of  the  last  so  to  do,  and  it  was  not  until 
May  6,  that  the  bill  under  which  our  present  police  system 
is  organized  was  passed.  Under  this  act  the  government  of 
police  affairs  was  vested  in  a  board  of  police  commissioners, 
consisting  of  the  mayor  and  two  others,  the  term  of  office 
of  the  latter  being  four  years.  The  police  force  appointed 
by  the  board  was  made  to  consist  of  a  captain,  sergeant, 
not  more  than  seven  patrolmen,  a  station-house  keeper 
and  a  surgeon.  The  first  commissioners  under  this  act  were 
chosen  at  the  general  election  in  November. 

Soon  after  the  charter  went  into  operation,  movements 
were  made  towards  securing  some  of  the  substantial  im 
provements  which  it  was  expected  would  follow  as  a  natural 
result  of  the  new  form  of  municipal  government.  The 
streets,  which  had  so  long  been  a  discredit  to  the  place, 
and  had  for  over  twenty  years  been  made  the  subject  for  a 
paragraph  in  almost  every  issue  of  the  village  newspaper, 


1870.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  203 

were  among  the  first  objects  to  which  attention  was  directed. 
In  the  early  part  of  June  a  petition  for  the  pavement  of 
Remsen  street  from  Mohawk  to  White  street  was  presented 
to  the  common  council.  The  committee  was  unable  to  de 
cide  at  once  upon  the  style  of  pavement  which  would  be 
most  suitable  and  give  greatest  satisfaction  to  the  property 
owners  on  the  street.  A  long  and  animated  discussion  fol 
lowed,  on  the  merits  of  the  respective  pavements  —  and  a 
number  of  communications  on  the  subject  were  published 
in  the  Cataract.  The  decision  was  finally  made  in  favor 
of  a  wooden  pavement,  the  Brocklebank  and  Trainor,  and 
the  work  of  laying  it  was  commenced  in  October. 

The  new  reservoir,  work  on  which  had  been  commenced 
in  the  preceding  year,  was  completed  in  July,  and  the  water 
was  pumped  into  it  on  the  25th  of  that  month.  It  occupies 
three  and  a  quarter  acres  of  land,  situated  at  the  west  of 
the  first  reservoir,  which  were  bought  in  1869  from  Mrs. 
Jane  A.  Lansing,  for  $1,800.  It  has  a  capacity  of  8,000,000 
gallons,  and  is  at  an  elevation  of  28  feet  above  the  old  one, 
and  190  feet  above  the  central  portion  of  the  town.  The 
first  pump  which  was  constructed  for  this  reservoir  did  not 
operate  satisfactorily  and  another  was  afterward  substituted, 
built  under  direction  of  D.  H.  Van  Auken,  engineer  of  the 
Cohoes  Co.  This  pump  is  double  acting,  16  inch  diameter 
and  6  feet  stroke,  working  10  strokes  to  the  minute,  moving 
a  column  of  water  16  inches  in  diameter  120  feet  per  minute, 
and  elevating  it  into  the  new  reservoir  118  feet  above  the 
pump  bed.  It  is  driven  by  a  Jonval  turbine  water  wheel  of 
100  horse  power,  made  by  Fuller  &  Safely. 

On  Sept.  17th,  the  first  number  of  the  Cohoes  Weekly 
Democrat,  a  paper  about  the  size  of  the  Advertiser  of  1847, 
was  issued.  It  was  an  outgrowth  of  a  smaller  sheet  called 
the  Watchman  and  Chronicle  which  had  been  published 
during  a  few  months  previous  by  D.  Cady.  Mr.  Oady's  as 
sistant  in  the  editorship  of  the  Democrat  was  John  H.  At 
kinson. 


204  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1870. 

Among  the  new  manufacturing  firms  which  commenced 
operations  this  year  was  the  Cohoes  Lime,  Cement  &  Plaster 
Co.,  which  located  its  works  near  the  Cohoes  Co.'s  dain. 
The  proprietors  were  T.  G.  Younglove,  David  T.  Lamb, 
Henry  I.  Dunsbach,  G.  H.  Stewart  and  L.  Dodge.  The 
first  kiln,  a  Page's  Patent  Flame  Kiln  —  was  put  in  opera 
tion  during  the  summer. ' 

Another  establishment,  Trost  &  Bezner  proprietors,  was 
located  in  Land  &  Son's  building  on  Conrtland  street  ;  the 
articles  of  manufacture  being  furniture,  and  fancy  articles 
in  wood.-' 

The  general  improvement  of  the  place  during  the  year 
was  marked.  The  completion  of  the  new  water  works,  and 
the  addition  of  two  hose  companies  to  the  fire  department 
rendered  the  protection  against  fire  very  complete  ;  several 
important  changes  were  made  by  the  board  of  education 
in  the  method  of  conducting  the  schools,  and  arrangements 
were  made  for  the  erection  of  the  White  street  school  house, 
a  building  which  had  long  been  needed  ;  many  of  the  streets 
were  graded  and  repaired,  and  several  sections  of  country 
roads,  which  under  the  provisions  of  the  charter  were  in 
cluded  in  the  city  limits,  were  improved  ;  the  construction 
of  sewers,  a  matter  which  had  formerly  been  too  much 
neglected,  owing  to  the  limited  power  granted  to  the  village 
trustees,  received  the  attention  of  the  authorities,  and  sewers 
were  laid  in  portions  of  Kemsen,  Mohawk,  Oriskany,  Main 


1  A.  mill  for  grinding  cement  and  plaster  was  built  in  the  following  year.  In  1873 
the  capacity  of  the  works  was  increased  by  the  erection  oi  another  mill,  and  two 
additional  kilns.  The  second  mill  is  located  near  the  Erie  Canal,  250  feet  from  the 
first,  from  which  the  power  is  obtained  by  means  of  a  wire  cable.  The  cost  of  the 
works  was  about  $50,000.  In  1875  this  firm  was  succeeded  by  the  Cohoes  Lime  & 
Cement  Co.,  incorporated  Aug.  18th  with  a  capital  of  $70,000.  The  following  were 
the  first  officers  :  president,  D.  T.  Lamb  ;  secretary,  T.  G.  Youuglove  ;  treasurer,  D. 
H.  Van  Auken.  D.  T.  Lamb,  H.  I.  Dunsbach,  M.  O.  Cauldwell,  T.  G.  Younglove, 
G.  H.  Stewart,  L.  Dodge,  trustees. 

i  The  style  of  this  firm  was  changed  July  21, 1876,  to  the  Trost  &  Bezner  Mfg.  Co. 
John  T.  Saxe,  proprietor. 


1871.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  205 

and  Cedar  streets.  The  cost  of  these  various  improvements, 
as  shown  in  the  mayor's  report,  was  in  the  neighborhood  of 
$80,000.  The  taxes  were  of  course  increased,  but  not  so 
largely  as  many  supposed  —  the  rate  being  less  than  a 
quarter  of  one  per  cent  greater  than  that  of  the  previous 
year.  The  census  of  this  year  indicated  the  largest  five 
years'  growth  in  the  history  of  the  place,  there  being  an  in 
crease  of  6,578  over  the  official  census  of  1865.  The  male 
inhabitants  over  the  age  of  21  were  2,574,  divided  as  follows  : 
1st  ward,  779;  2d  ward,  717  ;  3d  ward,  728  ;  4th  ward, 
350.  The  following  statistics  in  regard  to  manufactures 
were  given  : 

Manufacturing  establishments, 196 

Capital  invested, $4,030,641 

Wages  paid  yearly,    1,839,572 

Value  material  used,    5,084,940    • 

"      annual  production,  7,889,331 

In  February,  1871,  several  amendments  to  the  charter 
were  prepared  by  a  committee  from  the  common  council, 
which  were  presented  to  the  legislature  and  passed  in  May. 
Among  the  changes  were  the  following:  provision  was  made 
for  the  election  of  two  justices  of  the  peace  to  serve  until 
1874  ;  the  common  council  was  invested  with  power  to  pass 
certain  ordinances  and  regulations  for  the  government  of 
the  city,  and  to  appoint  commissioners  of  deeds  ;  the  term 
of  office  of  the  chamberlain  was  made  two  years;  the  power 
of  the  recorder  was  increased,  and  his  salary  fixed  at  $2,000, 
and  the  term  of  office  of  the  overseer  of  the  poor  was  ex 
tended  from  one  to  three  years.  Considerable  dissatisfaction 
was  expressed  at  the  last  two  amendments,  which  it  was 
claimed  were  added  after  the  bill  had  left  the  hands  of  the 
committee  in  Cohoes. 

On  Sunday,  June  10,  the  new  St.  John's  church,  at  the 
junction  of  Canvass  and  Mohawk  streets,  was  formally 
opened  by  Bishop  Doane,  who  had  laid  the  corner  stone  on 


206  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1871. 

June  1 1th  of  the  previous  year.  The  ceremonies  of  consecra 
tion  were  postponed  until  a  small  debt  yet  remaining  on  the 
building  should  be  liquidated.  The  customary  morning 
service  was  read,  Bishop  Doane,  Rev.  Ferris  Tripp,  of 
Brooklyn,  Rev.  Chas.  Babcock  of  Greenwood  Works,  and 
Rev.  J.  H.  H.  Brown,  rector  of  the  parish,  officiating.  The 
sermon  was  preached  by  Bishop  Doane.  The  building, 
which  will  accommodate  1,000  persons,  is  built  of  Schenec- 
tady  stone  faced  with  brick,  in  the  modern  gothic  style, 
with  transept.  The  nave  of  the  church  is  1 00  feet  long, 
68  feet  wide  and  60  feet  to  the  peak  of  the  roof.  The  ceil 
ing  is  in  blue,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  walls  has  a  red 
ground,  diapered.  The  chancel,  which  is  square,  measures 
20  by  30  feet,  with  a  large  window  in  the  rear.  The  organ 
and  choir  are  placed  in  an  alcove  a  few  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  transept,  on  which  it  opens  through  an  archway. 
The  chapel  is  24  by  32  feet  and  opens  on  the  church  and 
chancel  in  the  same  manner  as  the  organ  alcove,  so  that  it 
can  be  used  if  desired  to  make  extra  accommodations  for 
the  church.  The  Sunday  school  room,  which  will  seat  450 
pupils,  is  located  in  the  lower  part  of  the  building.  The 
rectory,  connected  with  the  chapel,  is  of  the  same  material 
as  the  church,  and  a  model  of  convenience.  Besides  what 
is  now  built,  it  is  the  design  to  have  a  tower  on  the  south 
side  of  the  church,  with  a  stone  spire  160  feet  high.  The 
cost  of  the  structure  as  far  as  finished  is  $40,000,  and  the 
completion  of  it  will  cost  $20,000  more. 

Among  the  additions  this  year  to  the  business  of  the  city 
was  the  Cohoes  Warp  Mill  and  Thread  Co.,  incorporated 
July  23d,  with  Collins  Arnold,  president  and  treasurer,  and 
Stillman  Ilsley,  secretary.  The  manufactures  of  this  com 
pany  are  hosiery  yarns  and  cops,  seaming  thread,  chain 
warps,  etc.,  which  are  used  principally  by  cotton  and  woolen 
mills.  The  building  which  is  on  the  site  of  the  Miles  White 
forge  shop,  on  Mohawk  street,  is  of  brick,  50  by  80  feet* 


1871.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  207 

four  stories  high,  and  was  completed  in  July.  Another  new 
factory  was  erected  by  the  Empire  Pin  Co.,  on  Courtland 
street,  a  brick  building  40  by  100  feet,  and  five  stories  high. 
With  its  increased  facilities  the  company  did  an  extensive 
business,  operating  40  machines  and  producing  46,800  papers 
of  pins  per  week.  These  papers  average  280  pins  each, 
making  a  yearly  production  of  681,408,000. 

The  Waterford  and  Cohoes  Bridge  was  burned  on  the 
night  of  the  31st  October,  but  little  to  the  regret  of  the 
citizens,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  following,  from  the 
Cataract: 

"It  was  never  considered  a  first  class  structure  and 
of  late  years  has  been  a  source  of  constant  dread  to 
those  who  have  been  obliged  to  cross  it,  and  a  standing 
insult  to  public  enterprise.  During  the  conflagration,  the 
general  expression  seemed  to  be  that  it  were  better  thus 
than  that  the  lives  of  our  citizens  should  be  endangered  by 
its  longer  use." 

A  steam  ferry  was  established  for  the  accommodation  of 
passengers,  and  a  tug  was  provided  to  tow  the  boats  in  the 
Champlain  Canal  across  the  river.  The  new  state  dam  just 
below  the  bridge,  which  had  been  commenced  in  June,  1870, 
was  completed  this  fall,  by  Sherrill,  Strong  &  Flood,  con 
tractors.  Its  length  between  the  piers  is  1,640  feet. 

The  building  of  this  dam  enabled  Messrs.  Weed,  Becker 
&  Co.  to  obtain  an  additional  head  of  five  feet  of  water, 
and  add  largely  to  the  capacity  of  their  establishment.  The 
improvements  connected  with  these  increased  facilities  were 
completed  during  the  year  at  a  cost  of  $20,000. 

In  October,  when  the  news  was  received  here  of  the  great 
fires  which  devastated  Chicago,  and  different  places  in 
Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  the  citizens  were  prompt  to  come 
forward  with  substantial  expressions  of  sympathy.  A  public 
meeting  was  at  once  held  in  Egberts'  Hall  to  take  measures 
for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers,  at  which  Mayor  Adams  pre 
sided.  Committees  of  five  gentlemen  from  each  ward  were 
appointed  to  receive  subscriptions,  who  were  to  report  to  the 


208  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1872. 

following  general  committee  :  Hon.  C.  H.  Adams,  Murray 
Hubbard,  D.  J.  Johnston,  H.  B.  Silliman,  Win.  Nuttall. 
The  response  to  the  call  was  general  and  liberal.  About 
$4,000  in  cash  were  raised,  of  which  $2,500  were  sent  to 
Chicago  and  the  balance  to  the  sufferers  by  the  fires  in 
Wisconsin  and  Michigan.  Knit  goods  and  other  articles  of 
clothing  to  the  value  of  $5,000  were  also  forwarded. 

A  matter  which  occasioned  considerable  discussion  in  Co- 
hoes  during  the  early  part  of  1872,  was  what  was  known 
as  the  Boulevard  bill,  introduced  in  January.  It  pro 
vided  for  the  construction  of  a  broad  avenue,  the  line  of 
which  was  to  extend  along  the  Hudson  river  terrace,  begin 
ning  at  the  Newtonville  road  in  Albany  and  running  north, 
passing  a  little  to  the  west  of  the  Rural  Cemetery  and  ter 
minating  in  Cohoes  at  or  near  Johnston  avenue,  affording 
a  straight  and  level  street  nine  miles  in  length.  The  work 
was  to  be  supervised  by  seven  commissioners,  of  whom  three 
were  from  Albany,  two  from  Watervliet,  and  two  from 
Cohoes,  the  gentlemen  named  from  this  place  being  David 
J.  Johnston  and  H.  S.  Bogue.  The  expense,  estimated  at 
$100,000,  was  to  be  defrayed  by  the  localities  to  be  benefited ; 
bonds  were  to  be  issued  by  the  city  of  Albany  to  the  amount 
of  $50,000  and  by  the  town  of  Watervliet  and  the  city  of 
Cohoes,  each  for  $25,000.  The  newspapers  in  the  neighbor 
hood  were  almost  without  exception  in  favor  of  the  project, 
and  it  had  a  number  of  strong  supporters  among  the  citizens 
of  Albany  and  Cohoes.  There  was,  however,  from  the  be 
ginning  a  strong  feeling  against  it  in  West  Troy,  and  con 
siderable  opposition  was  soon  developed  here.  Many 
persons  claimed  that  the  bill  was  a  private  measure  intro 
duced  merely  to  advance  the  interests  of  individuals  who 
owned  property  along  the  route  of  the  proposed  road;  and 
also  that  in  case  the  latter  should  be  constructed,  it  would 
be  used  merely  as  a  pleasure  drive,  and,  not  being  suitable 
for  the  passage  of  heavy  vehicles,  would  be  of  no  business 


1872.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  209 

advantage.  The  principal  objection,  however,  which  was 
urged  by  Cohoes  people,  was  that  if  the  city  were  to  be 
bonded  at  all,  the  money  should  be  expended  in  making 
improvements  for  which  there  was  more  pressing  necessity. 
These  objections  were  answered  by  the  friends  of  the  bill, 
but  they  failed  to  entirely  overcome  the  prejudice  against 
it,  and  it  did  not  go  into  effect. 

A  bill  introduced  during  the  same  month  made  several 

O 

changes  in  the  charter  of  tlie  city,  the  principal  one  being 
in  regard  to  the  recorder  and  overseer  of  the  poor.  The 
former  office  was  abolished,  and  provision  was  made  that 
the  latter  be  filled  annually  by  appointment  of  the  common 
council. 

In  February,  the  Cohoes  Hospital  was  established,  an 
institution  which  for  lack  of  proper  support  has  not  had 
the  permanence  it  deserved.  Its  officers  were  :  president, 
Robert  Johnston  ;  vice  president,  Earl  L.  Stimson  ;  secre 
tary,  Win.  E.  Thorn  ;  treasurer,  Wm.  Burton  ;  committee, 
T.  G.  Younglove,  H.  B.  Silliman,  W.  S.  Gilbert.  A  build 
ing  was  hired  on  Harmony  Hill,  in  which  a  free  dispensary 
was  established,  and  Drs.  Robertson,  of  Albany,  and  J.  W. 
Moore  and  Jas.  Featherstonhaugh  of  this  city,  gave  their 
services  to  those  in  need  of  them. ' 

With  the  rapid  growth  in  the  business  interests  of  Cohoes, 
it  had  for  some  time  been  apparent  that  there  was  a  favor 
able  opportunity  for  the  establishment  of  a  second  banking 
institution,  and  a  movement  to  this  effect  was  made  in 
January  by  a  number  of  prominent  business  men,  which 
resulted  in  the  organization,  on  March  21st,  of  the  Manu 
facturers'  Bank  of  Cohoes,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000.  The 
first  officers  were  as  follows  :  president,  Wm.  E.  Thorn  ;  vice 


1  This  laudable  enterprise  was  supported  for  a  time  almost  entirely  by  the  contri 
butions  of  private  citizens.  A  bill  was  passed  in  May,  1873,  authorizing  the 
common  council  to  appropriate  $1,000  annually  for  its  maintenance.  This  did  not 
go  into  effect,  however,  and,  not  receiving  any  encouragement,  the  gentlemen  in 
charge  of  the  institution  were  forced  to  abandon  it,  not  being  willing  to  defray  all 
its  expenses  from  their  own  pockets. 

27 


210  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1872. 

president,  Jno.  Y.  S.  Lansing  ;  cashier,  N.  W.  Frost;  di 
rectors,  Wm.  E.  Thorn,  Jno.  V.  S.  Lansing,  D.  H.  Van 
Auken,  Geo.  Campbell,  J.  W.  Himes,  Jacob  Travis,  D.  J. 
Johnston,  Nicholas  J.  Clute,  Wm.  Moore,  Alfred  Le  Roy, 
P.  R.  Chadwick.  Rooms  were  fitted  up  at  No.  70  Oneida 
street,  and  the  institution  was  opened  for  the  transaction  of 
business,  July  8th. 

The  project  of  uniting  Lansingburg  and  Cohoes  by  bridges 
across  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  rivers,  which  had  been 
agitated  in  the  papers  of  the  vicinity  at  different  times  pre 
vious,  assumed  definite  shape  by  the  incorporation  of  the 
Lansingburg  and  Cohoes  Bridge  Co.  in  March.  The  bill 
provided  for  the  construction  of  "a  bridge  and  the  ap 
proaches  thereto,  over  the  Hudson  from  some  point  on  Yan 
Schaick's  Island,  in  the  city  of  Cohoes  to  some  point  in  the 
village  of  Lansingburg,  south  of  said  ferry." 

It  was  expected  that  the  erection  of  a  bridge  across  the 
Mohawk  from  the  island  to  Cohoes,  concerning  which  Mr. 
Adams,  owner  of  the  island,  had  made  some  generous  offers? 
would  soon  follow,  as  arrangements  had  been  made  the  pre 
vious  autumn.  The  scheme  seemed  to  meet  with  approval 
from  all  parties  concerned.  The  papers  of  Troy  were 
earnest  in  its  favor,  on  the  ground  that  the  road  distance 
between  that  place  and  Cohoes  would  be  diminished  by 
nearly  a  mile  and  communication  between  the  two  cities  be 
greatly  facilitated  ;  while  the  Cohoes  papers  hailed  with 
satisfaction  the  prospect  of  beautiful  building  sites  and 
pleasant  drives  which  was  offered  to  our  citizens.  As  in 
the  case  of  the  Boulevard  bill,  however,  while  the  value 
which  such  an  improvement  would  have  was  acknowledged 
on  all  sides,  something  occurred  to  kill  the  project,  and  there 
has  been  no  definite  movement  towards  developing  that 
part  of  our  city  until  the  present  year. 

The  new  bridge  across  the  Mohawk  above  the  state  dam 
was  completed  in  September  at  a  cost  of  about  $25,000. 
It  is  704  feet  long  and  consists  of  four  spans  of  140  feet  and 


1872.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  211 

one  of  135  feet.  The  side  walks  and  tow  path  are  each  t-ix 
feet  wide,  and  the  trusses  twenty-one  feet  high.  It  is  known 
as  the  Combination  Bridge,  the  top  chord  and  posts  being 
of  wood,  and  the  lower  chord,  main  and  center  braces  of 
iron.  Belden  and  Gale  of  Syracuse  were  the  contractors. 

An  event  of  importance  in  the  history  of  Cohoes  man 
ufactures  was  the  completion  in  this  year  of  the  extension 
to  the  Harmony  Mill  No.  3,  making  the  largest  complete 
cotton  mill  in  the  country.  The  extension  is  five  stories 
high,  and  510  feet  long  by  76  feet  wide,  making  the  entire 
structure  1,185  by  70-76  feet.  The  junction  of  the  exten 
sion  with  the  main  building  is  marked  by  the  central  tower, 
a  handsome  fire  proof  structure  eight  stories  in  height.  A 
niche  in  this  contains  a  bronze  statue  of  the  late  Thos. 
Garner,  for  years  one  of  the  principal  proprietors  of  the 
mills,  which  was  cast  by  the  Ames  Mfg.  Co.  of  Chicopee, 
Mass.,  after  a  model  by  Millman.  Underneath  this  tower 
is  the  main  entrance,  substantially  built  of  granite.  There 
are  four  other  entrances  to  the  building,  each  surmounted 
by  a  lofty  tower.  The  building  is  constructed  throughout 
of  the  best  and  most  durable  materials,  and  its  front  is 
handsomely  trimmed  with  brown-stone.  Besides  its  great 
importance  to  the  place  in  a  business  point  of  view,  the  fine 
architecture  of  this  mill  and  its  complete  finish  in  every 
detail  render  it  a  principal  ornament  of  the  city,  and  it  is 
among  the  first  objects  of  interest  to  strangers  who  visit  us. 

The  Harmony  Co.  made  a  further  addition  to  their  estab 
lishment  by  the  purchase  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  of 
the  paper  mill  building  on  Mohawk  street,  south  of  the  No. 
2  mill,  in  which  the  manufacture  of  jute  was  afterwards 
commenced.  Messrs.  Van  Benthuysen  &  Sons,  the  pro 
prietors  of  the  paper  mill,  moved  their  machinery  to  Castle- 
ton,  where  they  had  a  similar  establishment. ' 


1  The  water  of  the  Mohawk  was  too  muddy  in  the  spring  and  fall  for  use  in  their 
business,  and  the  proprietors  had  several  years  "before  commenced  the  boring  of  an 
artesian  well,  which  was  carried  down  over  2,300  feet  before  it  was  abandoned. 


212  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1872. 

An  addition  to  the  knitting  interests  of  the  place  was 
the  establishment  of  the  Globe  Mill  by  Le  Roy,  Lamb  &  Co., 
Wm.  Moore  being  the  third  partner. '  The  firm  took  pos 
session  of  the  building  on  Remsen  street  between  the 
Diamond  and  Star  Mills,  which  had  been  occupied  since 
1857  by  the  Harmony  Co.,  and  put  in  operation  four  sets 
of  machinery.  The  second  mill  south  of  this,  a  building 
30  by  96  feet,  and  four  stories  high,  was  fitted  up  for  knitting 
purposes  early  in  this  year  by  George  Warhurst,  of  the 
Atlantic  Mill  on  Mohawk  street,  who  sold  both  establish 
ments  to  Thompson  &  Horrocks,  in  the  fall.  Two  new 
knitting  mills,  the  Peerless,  and  the  Sunnyside,  were 
located  respectively  in  the  first  and  second  stories  of  the 
Empire  Pin  Co.'s  building  on  Courtland  street.  The  former, 
Joseph  Bullock  and  Bro.  proprietors,  ran  two  sets,  and 
the  latter,  of  the  same  capacity,  was  owned  by  Fisher  and 
Melinda,  Neither  remained  in  permanent  operation. 

A  new  establishment  of  the  year  was  a  gas  and  steam  pipe 
factory  erected  near  Courtland  street  between  Saratoga  and 
Van  Rensselaer  streets,  by  the  Empire  Tube  Co.  The  com 
pany  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $5 0,000,  the  follow 
ing  being  trustees  :  Jas.  Morrison,  Thos.  Colwell,  Buckley 
T.  Benton,  Jas.  M.  Morehead,  W.  H.  Atwater.- 

A  series  of  articles,  afterward  issued  in  pamphlet  form, 
was  published  in  the  Cataract  during  the  year,  giving  a 
complete  and  careful  account  of  the  manufacturing  estab 
lishments  of  the  place.  The  statistics  of  production  may  be 
summarized  as  follows  :  The  Harmony  Mills  had  in  opera 
tion  251,000  spindles,  and  employed  5,170  operatives.  The 
knitting  mills,  20  in  number,  operated  129  sets  of  machinery, 
employing  2,503  operatives,  at  a  monthly  pay  roll  of  $58,900. 


1  Mr.  Moore  afterward  withdrew,  Belling  bis  interest  to  the  other  partners. 

'The  company  never  commenced  active  operations,  but  leased  the  factory  to 
Albert  Smith  and  Jas.  M.  Morehead,  who  ran  it  a  few  months.  On  May  1st,  1874, 
the  present  firm,  consisting  of  Albert  Smith  and  A.  G.  Curtis,  was  formed. 


1872.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  213 

The  annual  production  was  453,000  doz.  goods  valued  at 
$3,620,000.  The  establishments  in  the  iron  manufacture,  4 
in  number,  employed  685  men  at  a  monthly  pay  roll  of 
$35,800.  The  value  of  the  annual  production,  consisting  of 
axes,  iron  and  machinery,  was  $1,680,000.  Miscellaneous 
establishments  employed  394  hands  at  a  monthly  pay  roll 
of  $14,010,  and  produced  goods  annually  to  the  amount  of 
$479,000.  The  annual  production  stated  of  other  concerns 
of  which  no  further  statistics  were  given,  amounted  in  the 
aggregate  to  $451,000.  The  total  yearly  value  of  manu 
factured  products  thus  shown  was  $6,230,000,  exclusive  of 
those  of  the  Harmony  Mills.  A  summary  of  the  mercantile 
establishments,  professions,  etc.,  was  also  given,  as  follows  : 

"  Groceries,  56  ;  dry  goods  stores,  9  ;  clothing  stores,  7  ; 
millinery  and  fancy  goods  stores,  25  ;  drugs  and  medicines, 
7  ;  boot  and  shoe  stores,  15  ;  hat  and  cap  stores,  3  ;  job 
printing  offices,  1  ;  news  rooms,  2  ;  cigar  manufacturers, 
5  ;  flour  and  feed  stores,  1  ;  lumber  yards,  3  ;  coal  dealers, 
5  ;  junk  dealers,  2  ;  liquor  dealers,  79  ;  meat  markets,  22  ; 
jewelers,  3  ;  sewing  machine  agencies,  4  ;  insurance  agen 
cies,  7  ;  fruit  and  confectionery  stores,  6  ;  oyster  dealers, 
4  ;  music  stores,  1  ;  piano  rooms,  1  ;  marble  yards,  1.  Of 
other  trades  and  occupations,  we  enumerate  as  follows  : 
dress  making  establishments,  8  ;  attorneys,  12  ;  physicians, 
11  ;  teachers,  34  ;  clergymen,  8  ;  dentists,  2  ;  photograph 
ers,  3  ;  surveyors,  2  ;  architects,  1  ;  barbers,  9  ;  auction 
eers,  2." 

Among  the  improvements  of  the  year  was  the  enlargement 
of  the  Baptist  church,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  The  front  was 
extended  to  the  side-walk,  a  distance  of  some  20  feet,  thus 
greatly  enlarging  the  seating  capacity  of  the  building,  and 
a  spire  and  towers  were  constructed  which  much  improved 
its  appearance.  The  interior  of  the  edifice  was  entirely 
renovated  and  its  walls  and  ceiling  handsomely  frescoed. 
The  church  was  formally  opened  on  the  evening  of  Jan. 
1 5th,  1873,  the  dedication  services  being  postponed,  until 
the  debt  incurred  in  making  the  improvements  should  be 
liquidated.  An  historical  sermon,  giving  a  detailed  account 


214  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1873. 

of  the  organization  and  progress  of  the  church,  was  preached 
by  the  pastor,  Rev.  L.  S.  Johnson,  which  was  followed  by 
the  singing  of  a  hymn  composed  for  the  occasion,  and  con 
gratulatory  addresses  by  Revs.  0.  A.  Johnson  of  Whitehall, 
Mr.  Hanna  of  West  Troy,  and  C.  P.  Sheldon,  D.D.,  of  Troy. 
Other  clergymen  present  and  participating  in  the  exercises 
were  Rev.  Mr.  Kenley  of  Lansingburg,  and  Rev.  Wm.  M. 
Johnson  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  Cohoes. 

The  long  period  of  exemption  from  serious  loss  by  fire 
which  Cohoes  manufacturers  had  enjoyed  was  interrupted 
in  February,  1873,  by  the  occurrence  of  two  destructive 
conflagrations.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  1st,  a  fire  was 
discovered  in  the  card  room  of  the  Stark  Mill,  on  Courtland 
street.  Efforts  were  made  to  extinguish  it  without  giving  an 
alarm,  but  the  whole  room  was  soon  in  flames,  which  com 
menced  to  spread  to  adjoining  parts  of  the  building,  and 
the  operatives  throughout  the  mill  were  at  once  informed 
of  their  danger.  Most  of  them  escaped  through  the  doors 
but  some  who  were  in  the  upper  stories,  finding  the  staircase 
impassable,  were  forced  to  jump  from  the  windows  upon 
the  sheds  and  ground  beneath.  It  is  a  matter  of  surprise 
that  only  a  few  persons  were  injured,  and  those  but  slightly — 
had  the  building  been  higher,  or  the  circumstances  less 
favorable,  a  catastrophe  like  that  at  Hurst's  Mill  might  have 
occurred.  The  structure  was  a  mass  of  flames  when  the 
firemen  reached  it,  and  their  efforts  were  principally  directed 
towards  preventing  the  destruction  of  the  Miller  House  and 
other  adjoining  buildings.  The  loss  of  the  proprietors, 
Scott  &  Stewart,  upon  machinery  and  stock,  was  between 
$35,000  and  $40,000,  which  was  covered  by  insurance  for 
$22,000.  The  loss  on  the  building  was  $3,000. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  third 
story  of  the  Erie  Mill,  on  Erie  street,  caused  by  the  falling 
of  a  small  bit  of  waste,  ignited  by  the  gas,  into  a  pile  of 
laps  upon  the  floor.  It  was  some  fifteen  minutes  before 


1873.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  215 

an  alarm  could  be  sounded  and  when  the  firemen  arrived 
the  two  upper  stories  of  the  mill  were  in  flames.  The  de 
partment  could  accomplish  but  little,  for  the  water  was 
shut  off  from  the  reservoir  and  there  was  not  enough  head 
upon  that  in  the  pipes  to  throw  a  stream  into  the  second 
story  of  the  building,  and  some  of  the  nearest  hydrants 
were  besides  found  to  be  frozen.  Fortunately  there  was 
no  wind  at  the  time,  and  the  danger  to  the  adjoining  mills, 
Parsons's  and  Thompson  &  Horrocks's,  was  comparatively 
slight.  The  loss  on  the  building,  which  belonged  to  Wm. 
Burton,  was  $12,000  ;  Mr.  Moore,  proprietor  of  the  mill,  lost 
on  machinery,  etc.,  between  $40,000  and  $50,000  of  which 
$25,000  were  insured. 

The  necessity  of  procuring  horses  for  the  Adams  steamer 
had  been  for  some  time  urged  in  the  city  papers,  but  no 
action  was  taken  on  it  by  the  common  council.  As  it  was 
evident,  however,  at  these  two  fires,  that  much  valuable  pro 
perty  could  have  been  saved  if  the  department  had  been 
promptly  on  hand,  steps  were  taken  to  avoid  in  future  such 
disastrous  delays  ;  and  accordingly  a  few  months  later  a  team 
of  horses  was  purchased  for  the  steamer  and  the  services  of 
a  paid  engineer  and  driver  secured. 

Among  the  evidences  of  the  prosperity  of  the  place  —  at 
this  time  at  its  height  —  were  several  movements  which  were 
set  on  foot  early  in  the  year,  for  important  public  improve 
ments.  One  of  the  enterprises  proposed  was  the  erection  of 
a  new  hotel,  with  all  modern  conveniences  —  an  institution 
talked  of  and  desired  since  the  earliest  days  of  the  place. 
The  Cohoes  Co.  were  in  former  years  in  the  habit  of  hold 
ing  their  annual  dinners  at  the  Cohoes  Hotel,  and  in  1840, 
when  the  house  was  managed  by  the  Messrs.  Fuller,  elabo 
rate  plans  were  made,  while  the  guests  were  under  the 
warming  influence  of  a  generous  repast,  for  the  erection  of 
an  elegant  hotel.  It  was  to  be  built  in  the  pine  grove  which 
was  then  standing  between  Courtland  street  and  the  river, 


216  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1873. 

on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  Fuller's  building.  The  estab 
lishment  was  to  be  fitted  up  in  the  most  complete  manner, 
and  to  have  among  other  attractions,  floating  baths  in  the 
river  below,  connected  with  the  hotel  by  a  covered  passage 
and  a  flight  of  stairs.  The  nearest  this  enterprise  ever 
came  to  completion  was  the  preparation  of  the  plans,  which 
were  drawn  up  by  Joshua  R.  Clarke  —  for  in  the  next  year 
commenced  a  period  of  business  depression,  the  effects  of 
which  were  severely  felt  here.  Since  that  time  the  project 
had  been  considered  by  several  different  parties,  and  the 
columns  of  the  Cataract,  from  almost  its  first  number,  con 
tained  frequent  appeals  to  the  citizens  to  take  some  action 
in  the  matter. 

The  first  movement  of  any  importance  was  made  in  April 
of  this  year,  when  a  bill  was  introduced  in  the  legislature 
incorporating  the  Cohoes  Hotel  Co.,  of  which  the  following 
gentlemen  (who  were  to  be  the  first  directors),  were  named 
as  incorporators  :  T.  G.  Younglove,  Andrew  J.  Root,  John 
Y.  S.  Lansing,  D.  J.  Johnston,  Wm.  S.  Gilbert,  Murray 
Hubbard,  S.  E.  Stimson,  Wm.  T.  Horrobin,  Henry  S.  Bogue, 
Thos.  Col  well,  Otis  G.  Clark,  John  Wakeman  and  Jacob 
Travis.  The  capital  stock  was  fixed  at  $150,000  with  liberty 
to  increase  to  $200,000,  to  be  divided  into  shares  of  $100 
each.  The  company  had  several  plans  under  discussion, 
but  before  any  definite  arrangements  were  concluded  the 
panic  came  on,  which,  as  in  1 840,  put  a  stop  to  further  proceed 
ings,  and  at  present  the  long  desired  hotel  is  still  unbuilt. ] 


1  "  The  owners  of  the  city  hotel  property  are  contemplating  the  erection  of  a 
first-class  hotel  building  on  the  site  of  the  old  building.  An  Albany  firm  of  archi 
tects  already  have  the  plans  under  way.  It  is  to  be  of  brick  of  modern  style  in  con 
struction,  at  a  cost  of  from  between  fifty  and  sixty  thousand  dollars.  It  will  front 
on  Mohawk  street,  and  extend  back  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  a 
sufficient  depth  to  be  reserved  to  allow  stores  being  built  fronting  on  Remsen  street. 
The  wealthy  New  York  Spanish  house  which  owns  this  valuable  property,  is  pre 
pared  to  go  ahead,  the  only  obstacle  is  the  lease  which  the  present  occupants 
have."—  Daily  News,  Nov.,  '76. 


1873.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  217 

Another  improvement  suggested  during  this  year  was  a 
fire  alarm  telegraph,  concerning  which  there  was  considera 
ble  discussion  in  the  common  council.  The  expense  of  its 
introduction  —  $7,000  —  was  decided  to  be  more  than  the 
city  could  then  sustain,  and  the  matter  was  dropped. 

On  April  1,  a  meeting  of  business  men  was  held  at  the 
Manufacturers'  Bank  to  take  steps  for  the  formation  of  a 
board  of  trade  in  this  city.  Henry  Brockway  acted  as 
chairman,  and  N.  W.  Frost  as  secretary.  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  consider  and  investigate  the  matter,  con 
sisting  of  P.  R.  Chadwick,  H.  B.  Silliman,  J.  W.  Himes, 
Wm.  Acheson  and  Jno.  V.  S.  Lansing.  Subsequent  meet 
ings  were  held,  but  no  permanent  organization  was  ever 
effected. 

Progressive  movements  of  this  sort,  though  they  accom 
plished  but  little  at  the  time,  are  worthy  of  record,  for  the 
full  development  of  the  above  and  other  similar  projects 
which  have  been  mentioned,  will  surely  come  at  no  distant 
day,  and  it  will  then  be  of  interest  to  know  the  time  at 
which  their  necessity  first  became  apparent  and  the  details 
of  the  earliest  efforts  made  in  regard  to  them. 

The  Mechanics'  Savings  Bank,  which  had  been  incorpo 
rated  in  March,  commenced  business  in  May,  its  office  being 
established  in  the  Manufacturers'  Bank  rooms  on  Oneida  st. 
The  following  were  the  first  officers:  president,  Robert 
Johnston;  1st  vice  pres't,  John  Clute;  2d  vice  pres't,  Wm. 
Stanton;  secretary,  Wm.  S.  Smith;  treasurer,  Abner  J. 
Griffin;  assistant  treasurer,  Leonard  J.  Groesbeck. 

On  September  22d,  was  issued  the  first  number  of  the 
Cohoes  Daily  News,  Edward  Monk  editor  and  proprietor, 
and  Clark  &  Foster  printers.  The  paper  was  18  by  13 
inches,  four  columns  to  the  page,  and  the  arrangement  of 
the  reading  matter  was  the  same  as  at  present.  The  editors' 
salutatory  was  as  follows: 

"  The  Daily  News  will  be  published  daily,  at  noon  (Sun- 
28 


218  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1873. 

days  excepted),  at  No.  1,  Granite  Hall,  Remsen  street,  Co- 
hoes,  N.  Y.,  and  can  be  procured  at  the  news-rooms  and  at 
this  office  or  will  be  delivered  to  subscribers  at  one  cent  per 
copy.  The  News  is  especially  intended  as  a  local  paper  and, 
although  a  portion  of  its  space  may  contain  a  brief  summary 
of  general  news  and  miscellaneous  matter,  its  columns  will 
principally  be  devoted  to  the  doings  and  transactions  daily 
occurring  in  our  city.  With  this  object  in  view,  items  of  in 
terest  and  news  about  town  will  be  thankfully  received  at 
the  office  of  publication;  also  brief  communications  of  a 
local  nature  will  be  inserted  in  its  columns.  Although  the 
Daily  News  goes  before  the  public  to-day  for  the  first  time 
unannounced,  we  hope  it  will  not  be  entirely  unwelcome. 
With  this  much  of  introduction  we  respectfully  present  the 
first  number  to  the  citizens  of  Cohoes  with  confident  ex 
pectation  that,  if  deserving,  our  enterprise  will  meet  with  a 
share  of  their  patronage." 

On  account  of  its  proximity  to  Troy  and  Albany,  Co- 
hoes  had  always  been  regarded  as  a  poor  field  for  a  daily 
newspaper,  and  it  was  prophesied  by  many  that  the  News 
could  not  exist  more  than  six  months.  These  predictions 
have  proved  false,  however,  for  the  circulation  of  the  paper 
has  steadily  increased,  it  has  twice  been  enlarged,  and  now 
holds  an  important  position  among  the  newspapers  of  the 
city. 

During  the  early  part  of  this  season  a  remarkable  busi 
ness  activity  had  prevailed.  A  number  of  buildings  were 
erected  in  all  parts  of  the  city  —  among  them  several  for 
manufacturing  purposes.  Two  knitting  mills  were  put  up 
in  place  of  those  which  were  burned  in  February.  Mr. 
Moore  rebuilt  the  Erie  on  the  same  site,  and  John  Scott  of 
the  firm  of  Scott  &  Stewart,  erected  the  Enterprise  Mill, 
50  by  50  feet  and  four  stories  high,  on  Courtland  street,  west 
of  the  pin  factory,  near  the  site  of  the  old  Stark  Mill.  On 
Simmons  avenue,  south  of  the  cemetery,  a  brick  factory 
200  by  40  feet  and  two  stories  high,  was  built  by  Trost  & 
Bezner  to  accommodate  their  business,  which  had  increased 
rapidly  since  its  establishment.  Among  the  blocks  erected 


1873.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  219 

for  business  purposes,  was  that  of  Campbell  &  Clute, 
100  by  80  feet,  four  stones  high,  on  Mohawk  street  south  of 
Courtland,  in  which  they  located  their  machine  shop  ;  and 
also  that  of  Patrick  Rogers,  on  Renisen  street  near  its  junc 
tion  with  Mohawk.  A  new  knitting  mill,  with  six  sets  of 
machinery,  was  established  by  Fuller  &  Hay  in  the  f  oundery 
building  on  Courtland  street.  Another  new  enterprise  was 
the  machine  shop  of  Tubbs  &  Severson,  located  in  the  same 
building.  The  station-house  of  the  N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.  R. 
at  the  west  of  the  White  street  bridge,  was  completed  dur 
ing  the  summer,  and  the  local  trains  to  Troy,  which  were 
a  convenience  much  appreciated  by  our  citizens,  commenced 
running  October  6. 

A  number  of  important  public  improvements  were  made 
during  the  year.  Considerable  money  was  expended  in 
grading  and  opening  streets  on  the  hill  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  city,  among  them  Central  ave.,  Western  ave.,  and  Co 
lumbia  street.  The  latter  street  was  extended  at  a  width  of 
sixty  feet,  to  the  extreme  western  bounds  of  the  city,  at  a  cost 
of  over  $21,000.  White,  Oneida,  and  Sargent  streets  were 
paved,  at  the  following  expense  :  White  street,  $13,346  ; 
Oneida  street,  $10,709  ;  Sargent  street,  $6,498.  The  pave 
ment  on  Mohawk  street,  which  had  been  commenced  in 
1872,  was  also  completed.  The  hill  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  city,  west  of  the  Erie  Canal,  a  locality  hitherto  unde 
veloped,  was  greatly  improved  and  beautified  by  its  owners, 
Messrs.  Crawford  &  Hubbard.  The  property  was  carefully 
mapped,  a  number  of  streets  were  opened,  shade  trees  were 
planted,  and  Grand  View  Park,  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  was 
laid  out.  A  camera  obscura,  put  in  operation  during  the 
autumn,  afforded  an  extensive  view  of  the  surrounding 
country,  which  was  enjoyed  by  a  number  of  visitors. 

The  degree  of  growth  and  prosperity  manifested  in  Cohoes 
during  the  early  part  of  this  year  was  greater  than  any 
which  has  since  been  attained.  The  financial  panic  which 


220  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1873 

swept  over  the  country  in  the  fall,  paralyzing  every  branch 
of  business,  had  the  same  results  here  as  elsewhere,  and  the 
condition  of  affairs  has  not  since  been  such  as  to  warrant  a 
general  freedom  of  expenditure.  The  effects  of  the  panic 
were  first  felt  here  in  November,  and  though  they  were  not, 
during  the  following  winter,  as  severe  as  had  been  feared, 
all  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  city  then  began  to 
suffer  from  a  continued  depression,  from  which,  until  the 
present  season,  there  have  been  no  signs  of  recovery.  During 
October  the  various  establishments  in  the  city  continued 
running,  many  of  them  having  reduced  the  wages  and 
working  time  of  their  employe's.  On  the  25th  the  Harmony 
Mills  were  shut  down,  and  the  woolen  mills  ceased  opera 
tions  a  few  days  later,  the  water  being  drawn  from  the 
Cohoes  Go's  Canals.  For  some  time  there  was  great  anx~ 
iety  throughout  the  place.  Rumors  were  afloat  that  none 
of  the  mills  would  be  started  until  spring,  causing  appre" 
hensions  of  the  most  disastrous  effects  among  all  classes  of 
the  inhabitants.  The  local  papers  were,  however,  inclined 
to  take  a  hopeful  view  of  matters.  The  Cataract  said  : 

"There  is  as  yet  nothing  very  discouraging  in  the  prospects 
before  us,  and  if  all  will  take  courage  and  push  ahead  as 
far  as  their  circumstances  will  allow,  everything  will  come 
out  right,  and  we  shall  see  a  far  more  favorable  winter's 
business  than  has  been  predicted." 

Accounts  of  the  condition  of  business  here,  most  of  them 
favorable,  were  also  published  in  the  New  York  papers,  some 
of  which  sent  correspondents  to  the  place.  The  following 
were  some  of  the  views  expressed  : 

"  The  stoppage  of  work  at  the  Harmony  Mills,  Cohoes,  is 
not  the  unmixed  misfortune  which  the  first  news  led  the 
public  to  expect.  It  is  a  step  not  unusual  at  this  season  and 
amounts  at  the  very  worst,  to  a  few  weeks'  rest  from  work.  . . . 
If  other  cotton  mills  adopt  the  same  remedy  the  proper  rela 
tions  between  demand  and  supply  may  become  all  the  more 
quickly  reestablished,  though  some  little  distress  must, 
almost  necessarily,  be  its  immediate  result." — New  York 
Daily  Times. 


1873.  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  221 

"At  Cohoes,  which  claims  a  population  of  20,000,  the 
reports  are  more  favorable  up  to  the  present  time,  than  was 
to  be  anticipated.  ...Under  the  present  circumstances  Cohoes 
is  in  as  good  if  not  better  condition  to  stand  the  hard  times 
than  any  manufacturing  town  in  the  United  States.  The 
chief  hardships  and  loss  are  likely  to  come  on  the  manufac 
turers  and  capitalists,  who  are  puzzled  to  account  for  the 
present  panic  in  commercial  circles,  and  like  their  brethren 
in  New  York  can  see  no  further  reason  for  it,  than  a  '  lack 
of  confidence.''  —New  York  Daily  Tribune. 

"  Altogether  little  apprehension  exists  just  now  that  mu  ch 
suffering  is  likely  to  be  encountered.  By  those  best  in 
formed  it  is  thought  that  the  new  year  is  likely  to  bring  in 
much  increased  demand  for  labor.  None  of  the  workers 
have  left,  or  have  even  thought  of  doing  so.  All  are  hope 
ful.  But  oft  has  '  hope  told  its  flattering  tale,'  and  why 
should  it  alter  its  habit  ?" —  New  York  Daily  Herald. 

After  a  stoppage  of  two  weeks  all  but  two  of  the  woolen 
mills  commenced  running,  seven  of  them  on  full  time  and 
the  remainder  on  half  or  three  quarter  time.  The  Harmony 
Mills  were  started  Nov.  24,  an  average  reduction  of  12^  per 
cent  in  wages  being  made.  The  news  of  their  resumption 
was  gladly  received.  The  Cataract  published  a  very  hope 
ful  article  in  regard  to  it,  in  which  it  was  stated  that  the 
worst  of  the  panic  was  passed,  and  that  the  condition  of 
business  would  continue  to  improve  during  the  winter,  and 
be  in  the  following  spring  as  prosperous  as  ever — a  pre 
diction  unfortunately  not  fulfilled.  There  was  no  general 
stoppage  of  the  mills  during  the  season,  but  the  stagnation 
of  the  markets,  destined  to  be  of  long  duration,  afforded 
but  little  encouragement  to  the  efforts  of  those  manufac 
turers  who  continued. 

A  matter  which  excited  much  local  interest  in  the  early 
part  of  1874,  was  a  dispute  which  arose  in  regard  to  the 
office  of  city  chamberlain.  Mr.  C.  F.  North  was  appointed 
to  the  position  at  an  early  meeting  of  the  new  common 
council,  and  the  resolution  by  which  he  was  appointed  was 
subsequently  vetoed  as  illegal  by  the  mayor,  on  the  ground 
that  the  alderman  moving  it  was  interested  in  a  city  contract. 


222  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1874. 

At  a  subsequent  meeting,  Mr.  North  presented  his  official 
bonds  for  approval  and  they  were  signed  by  Alderman  Le 
Roy  acting  as  mayor  pro  tern.  Mr.  Cary,  however,  the  in 
cumbent  of  the  chamberlain's  office,  refused  to  deliver  his 
books  and  papers  to  Mr.  North,  on  the  grounds  that  his  ap 
pointment  was  not  legal,  having  been  vetoed  by  the  mayor, 
and  that  his  bonds  were  not  properly  signed.  A  manda 
mus  was  accordingly  served  on  him  by  Mr.  North,  and  the 
case  was  argued  before  Judge  Ingalls  of  Troy.  His  decision 
was  that  the  appointment  was  legal,  but  that  the  bonds 
must  be  signed  by  the  mayor  to  be  valid.  After  a  delay  of 
some  weeks,  the  mayor  on  April  2Yth,  signed  the  bonds,  and 
the  matter  was  thus  settled  satisfactorily,  having  furnished 
material  for  much  animated  discussion  among  our  citizens, 
and  numerous  articles  in  the  local  papers. 

As  in  1873,  two  serious  fires  were  among  the  important 
events  of  the  early  part  of  the  year.  The  premises  of  the 
Ten  Eyck  Axe  M'f'g  Co.,  consisting  of  three  wooden  build 
ings  on  Courtland  street  were  burned  on  Jan.  18th.  The 
loss  of  the  owner,  John  L.  Thompson  of  Troy,  was  $20,000, 
of  which  $9,000  were  insured.  The  buildings  were  occupied 
at  the  time  by  Sheehan,  Jones  &  Ryan,  who  lost  from  $6,000 
to  $8,000  in  manufactured  goods  besides  several  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  tools  and  fixtures.  The  fire  was  of  incen 
diary  origin.  Another  disastrous  fire  occurred  in  Root's 
Mill  on  the  afternoon  of  April  2d.  The  building,  which 
was  one  of  the  best  appointed  of  our  knitting  mills,  was, 
with  its  contents,  completely  destroyed,  at  a  loss  to  the 
owners  of  nearly  $200,000,  which  was  insured  to  the  amount 
of  $125,000.  The  bat  factory  of  Edward  Walker,  situated 
in  the  rear,  was  also  destroyed  involving  a  loss  of  about 
$5,000.  The  fire  originated  in  the  picking  room  of  the  mill 
and  spread  with  remarkable  rapidity.  An  elevator  near  the 
middle  of  the  building  was  the  means  of  communicating 
the  flames  to  the  upper  stories  and  so  quickly  that  smoke 


1874.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  223 

was  seen  issuing  from  the  cupola  within  five  minutes  after 
the  discovery  of  the  fire  in  the  basement.  Great  excitement 
prevailed  when  the  conflagration  broke  out,  as  it  was  feared 
that  many  of  the  operatives  would  be  unable  to  escape  from 
the  building,  but  the  fire  escapes,  which  had  been  provided 
soon  after  the  terrible  fire  at  Hurst's  Mill,  proved  adequate 
to  the  occasion  and  no  injury  was  suffered  by  any  of  the 
employes.  There  was  great  danger  at  times  that  the  ad 
joining  buildings  would  be  destroyed  —  the  mill  of  Gregory 
&  Hiller,  on  the  north,  being  several  times  on  fire  —  but  the 
exertions  of  the  fire  department,  assisted  by  the  Knicker 
bocker  Engine  Co.  of  Waterford  and  the  operatives  of  the 
mill,  prevented  its  spreading  further.  These  fires  caused  but 
a  slight  interruption  of  business.  Messrs.  Sheehan,  Jones  & 
Ryan  moved  their  establishment  to  the  pipe  factory  build 
ing  on  Saratoga  street  which  they  now  occupy,  and  the 
Messrs.  Root  immediately  commenced  the  erection  of  their 
present  mill  which  was  finished  in  the  fall.  The  main  part 
of  the  building  is  150  by  50  feet  and  five  stories  high  ;  on 
the  north  side  of  this  is  a  wing  96  by  20  feet,  four  stories 
high,  connected  with  it  by  arches  in  every  story.  On  the 
river  bank,  entirely  disconnected  from  the  principal  structure, 
is  a  fire  proof  building  53  by  35  feet,  three  stories  high,  con 
taining  the  pickers,  cotton  cards,  and  lappers.  The  risk  of 
fire  is  thus  greatly  diminished.  The  main  building  is  also 
provided  with  every  safeguard  and  means  of  escape  in  case 
of  fire,  and  is  in  all  its  appointments  one  of  the  most  per 
fectly  arranged  knitting  mills  in  the  place.  Its  cost,  in 
cluding  machinery,  was  about  $150,000.  Another  large  mill 
just  south  of  Root's  was  built  by  Messrs.  Bilbrough  and 
Dubuque  —  the  old  Mohawk  Mill  formerly  occupied  by  Mr. 
Bilbrough  having  been  destroyed  by  its  owners,  the  Harmony 
Co.,  to  make  room  for  improvements  to  the  Ogden  Mills. 
The  main  building  is  of  brick,  120  by  50  feet,  and  five  stories 
high  besides  a  basement.  There  are  also  two  wings  con 
taining  office,  store  room,  etc. 


224  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1874. 

The  number  of  residences  erected  during  the  season  was 
notably  smaller  than  in  the  previous  year.  Several  important 
buildings  for  other  purposes  were,  however,  constructed. 

St.  Joseph's  French  church,  built  in  1869,  had  never  been 
considered  safe.  In  the  following  year  its  steeple  was  re 
moved  because  it  threatened  to  crush  the  body  of  the  church, 
and  the  condition  of  the  edifice  became  in  1873  so  dilapi 
dated  that  its  demolition  was  resolved  upon.  The  work 
was  commenced  in  June,  1874,  and  the  corner-stone  of  the 
new  building,  on  the  site  of  the  first,  was  laid  Aug.  23, 
under  direction  of  Bishop  M'Xieruey.  The  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  Francis  Van  Campenhouldt  of  Troy,  and 
the  ceremonies  were  participated  in  by  a  number  of  other 
clergymen  from  different  localities.  The  building,  which 
has  not  yet  been  completed,  was  ready  for  occupancy  on 
Easter  Sunday,  1875.  Its  proportions  are  :  length,  128 
feet  ;  width  70  feet  ;  height  of  nave  60  feet  ;  of  tower  and 
spire  206  feet.  The  cost  of  the  building  was  $40,000,  and 
it  is  estimated  that  as  much  more  will  be  required  to  properly 
finish  the  interior.  Much  credit  is  due  to  the  congregation, 
for  their  enterprise  and  liberality,  in  thus  constructing,  within 
a  period  of  five  years,  two  expensive  church  edifices,  and  to 
Father  La  Salle  whose  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  new  enter 
prise  have  been  indefatigable. 

A  new  church,  the  German  Baptist,  was  organized  dur 
ing  this  year,  the  members  being  principally  employes  of 
Trost  &  Bezner.  Services  were  for  some  time  held  in  the 
First  Baptist  church,  and  a  small  building  was  afterwards 
secured  on  Simmons  avenue  which  the  congregation  has  since 
occupied.  In  the  certificate  of  incorporation,  tiled  Feb. 
4, 1875,  the  following  were  named  as  first  trustees  :  Herman 
Bezner,  one  year  ;  Henry  Trost,  two  years  ;  Conrad  Muller, 
three  years. 

A  noticeable  addition  to  the  buildings  on  Remsen  street 
was  the  Music  Hall  Block,  75  by  62  £  feet  and  four  stories 
high,  built  by  Acheson  <fc  Masten,  at  a  cost  of  $60,000. 


1874.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  225 

The'two  upper  stories  are  occupied  by  a  handsome  and  con 
veniently  arranged  theatre  capable  of  seating  1,000  persons, 
which  was  formally  opened  on  the  evening  of  Nov.  23d, 
by  J.  W.  Albaugh's  company  from  Albany.  The  entertain 
ment  opened  with  a  dedicatory  address,  delivered  by  Miss 
Florence  Chase,  and  the  singing  of  the  national  anthem  by 
the  company.  The  play  of  the  evening  was  London 
Assurance,  the  leading  parts  being  taken  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Albaugh.  The  post  office  was  moved  into  the  north  end  of 
this  building  as  soon  as  it  was  completed,  and  the  city  library 
has  since  last  summer  occupied  rooms  in  the  second  story. 

Of  the  entertainments  held  in  the  hall  during  the  ensuing 
season,  those  of  chief  local  interest,  were  eight  evenings  of 
social  singing,  which  were  well  attended.  The  course,  or 
ganized  through  the  efforts  of  L.  W.  Mansfield,  was  some 
what  similar  in  plan  to  that  which  was  held  in  Mr.  M.'s  mill, 
during  1865,  and  met  with  such  success  that  it  was  repeated 
in  the  following  year. 

Several  times  since  its  incorporation,  the  proposition  had 
been  made  to  bond  the  city  for  different  amounts  to  defray 
the  expenses  of  certain  public  improvements.  A  project  of 
the  sort  was  submitted  to  the  tax  payers  in  1872,  but  some 
features  of  the  bill  which  it  was  proposed  to  introduce,  were 
distasteful,  and  it  was  voted  down.  In  April  of  this  year, 
another  bill  was  prepared  and  presented  to  the  legislature 
which  seemed  to  meet  with  general  approval.  The  common 
council  was,  in  this  act,  directed  to  issue  the  bonds  of  the 
city  whenever  it  might  be  requested  by  the  commissioners 
of  construction,  for  the  purpose  of  opening,  extending  and 
improving  the  following  streets  :  Columbia,  from  Mohawk 
to  Lancaster;  Rernsen,  from  Newark  to  Saratoga;  Saratoga 
its  entire  length;  Ontario  and  Oneida  streets,  the  Boght 
road,  and  the  road  leading  to  Crescent.  Of  the  proceeds  of 
the  sale  of  the  bonds,  $75,000  were  to  be  expended  for  the 
above  purposes,  and  the  remainder  was  to  be  devoted  to  the 


226  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1874. 

purchase  of  a  site,  and  the  erection  of  a  suitable  city  build 
ing.  The  commissioners  of  construction  named,  were  H.  S. 
Bogue,  Alfred  Le  Roy,  David  J.  Johnston,  Jas.  B.  McKee 
and  Malachi  Weidman.  Unfortunately  the  bill  was  not 
introduced  until  late  in  the  session,  and  no  action  was  taken 
upon  it.  Several  important  municipal  improvements  were, 
however,  completed  during  the  season.  Among  them  were 
the  opening  and  grading  of  James  street,  at  a  cost  of 
$17,000  ;  grading  of  Central  avenue  from  Columbia  street, 
south  to  the  city  line,  costing  $5,000;  grading  portions  of 
Saratoga  and  Howard  street  at  a  cost  of  $3,500,  and  con 
struction  of  sewers  on  Remsen,  Lancaster  and  Orchard 
streets.  The  alteration  by  the  state  of  the  course  of  the 
Champlain  Canal  at  the  junction,  and  the  building  of  new 
and  improved  locks  at  that  point  was  completed  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year. 

The  Cataract  published  at  the  close  of  the  year  a  review 
of  the  condition  of  the  knitting  business,  giving  the  results 
of  interviews  with  each  manufacturer.  Most  of  the  estab 
lishments  were  running  on  full  time  and  expected  so  to  con 
tinue  during  the  winter.  The  conclusions  of  the  Cataract 
were  as  follows : 

"It  will  be  seen  that  the  outlook  is  anything  but  dis 
couraging  to  the  operatives  at  least  ...  they  have  thus  far 
known  but  practically  little  of  the  effects  arising  from  the 
general  depression  which  has  existed  during  the  year  in  all 
parts  of  the  country.  There  has  been  little  or  no  apparent 
reduction  in  the  production  of  fabrics,  and  old  prices  which 
have  ruled  in  years  past  in  almost  all  the  mills,  have  been 
paid.  It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  Cohoes  thus  far  has  never 
suffered  from  the  strikes  that  have  brought  untold  misery 
and  want  in  many  portions  of  the  country." 

A  recapitulation  of  the  figures  given  in  the  article  com 
pared  with  those  published  in  1872,  showed  a  falling  off  only 
in  the  number  of  operatives  employed  which  was  2,405  as 
against  2,503  in  the  former  year,  while  the  aggregate  of  the 
annual  production  and  monthly  wages  was  even  greater. 


1875.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  227 

The  discussion  of  several  proposed  amendments  to  the 
city  charter  occupied  a  large  share  of  local  attention  during 
the  first  few  months  of  1875.  The  principal  changes  were 
in  regard  to  the  powers  of  the  common  council  concerning 
assessments  —  authorizing  them  by  a  two-thirds  vote  to  raise 
money  for  special  taxes  ;  the  powers,  duties  and  salaries 
of  the  city  engineer  arid  city  attorney  —  the  compensation 
fixed  for  the  former  being  $500,  and  for  the  latter  $1,000; 
the  duties  and  salaries  of  constables,  who  were  to  receive 
$100  per  annum,  in  addition  to  their  fees  ;  and  the  organi 
zation  of  a  board  of  fire  commissioners  who  were  to  have 
control  of  a  paid  department.  A  meeting  of  the  common 
council  was  called  Jan.  30,  to  hear  the  report  of  a  committee 
on  these  amendments,  at  which  a  number  of  citizens  were 
present.  After  some  discussion  they  were  allowed  the  pri 
vilege  of  the  floor,  and  the  following  resolution  offered  by 
D.  H.  Van  Auken  was  put  to  the  audience  and  almost 
unanimously  adopted  : 

"  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  the  tax  payers  at  this 
meeting,  in  view  of  the  pressure  of  the  times,  affecting  both 
business  and  labor  in  all  departments,  it  is  inexpedient  that 
there  should  be  any  amendments  to  our  city  charter  which 
shall  increase  the  rate  of  taxation." 

After  the  passage  of  a  motion  requesting  the  legislature 
to  take  no  action  upon  any  such  amendments  that  might  be 
presented,  the  meeting  adjourned,  but  another  was  imme 
diately  organized  to  consider  an  amendment  creating  a  fifth 
ward,  concerning  which  a  bill  had  been  introduced  during 
the  previous  week.  The  sentiment  of  the  meeting  was  in 
favor  of  such  an  amendment,  and  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  attend  to  its  passage.  The  bill,  which  also  made  slight 
changes  in  the  boundaries  of  the  third  and  fourth  wards, 
became  a  law  May  1. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  occurred  the  most  destructive  fire 
that  had  visited  the  city  since  the  burning  of  the  Tivoli 
Mill.  The  polishing,  finishing  and  handle  shops,  of  the 


228  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1875. 

Weed  <fe  Becker  M'f  g  Co.,  were  destroyed,  at  a  loss  of 
$50,000,  throwing  nearly  200  men  out  of  employment.  One 
of  the  buildings  destroyed  was  the  original  factory  of  Daniel 
Simmons,  which  had  been  in  use  since  1835.  The  company 
proceeded  at  once  to  the  erection  of  a  fine  brick  building  on 
the  site,  which  was  completed  in  the  following  season.  It 
is  of  brick,  140  by  50  feet,  and  four  stories  high. 

The  publication  of  a  second  daily  paper,  TJie  Cohoes  Daily 
Bulletin,  was  commenced  June  1st.  It  was  a  28  column 
sheet,  democratic  in  politics,  and  was  conducted  by  J.  H. 
Atkinson,  formerly  of  the  Democrat,  and  J.  Barlow  Luddy. 
The  office  was  located  in  Hay  ward's  building,  Ontario  street. ' 
A  further  addition  to  the  newspapers  of  the  city,  was  the 
Journal  des  Dames,  a  weekly  paper,  published  in  the  in 
terests  of  French  Canadian  ladies,  and  edited  by  Mme. 
Virginie  Authier.  The  first  number  appeared  Sept.  24.2 
Another  French  paper,  ISAvenir  National,  the  publication 
office  of  which  had  formerly  been  in  Troy,  was  removed 
here  Oct.  15,  and  located  in  Silliman's  building  on  Kemsen 
street.  The  paper,  which  was  a  weekly,  was  conducted  by 
L.  G.  Leboeuf." 

An  event  of  general  interest  was  the  consecration  of  Rev. 
Dr.  J.  H.  Hobart  Brown  of  St.  John's  church,  who  had 
been  called  to  preside  as  bishop  over  the  new  diocese  of 
Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.  The  ceremonies,  which  took  place  in 
the  church  on  Wednesday  Dec.  15,  were  attended  by  a  large 
number  of  citizens.  The  presiding  bishop  was  Rt.  Rev. 
Horatio  Potter  of  New  York;  the  sermon  was  preached  by 
Bishop  Welles  of  Wisconsin,  and  a  number  of  other  eminent 
clergymen  from  different  localities  were  present. 


1  On  Dec.  13,  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  The  Daily  Eagle,  J.  B. 
Luddy  being  editor,  and  D.  Williams,  proprietor.  Its  publication  was  discontinued 
Aug.  12, 1876,  and  the  Northern  Herald,  a  Sunday  morning  paper,  established  by 
Williams  and  Eagan. 

a  This  was  succeeded  Feb.  16, 1876,  by  La  Patrie  Nouvelle,  Authipr  Bro?.  editors 
and  proprietors. 

•Discontinued  Aug.  11, 1876. 


1875.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  229 

The  dullness  of  business,  continuing  during  the  year,  had 
prevented  the  outlay  of  capital  to  any  amount  in  private 
improvements,  and  in  municipal  affairs  the  sentiments  ex 
pressed  at  the  tax  payers'  meeting  in  January  evidently  had 
their  effect.  A  few  public  works  however,  which  were 
greatly  needed,  received  attention.  Among  them  were  the 
grading  of  North  Mohawk  and  Trull  streets  and  McElwain 
avenue,  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  the  construction  of  sewers  on 
McElwain  and  Johnston  avenues  and  Mohawk  street,  costing 
an  equal  amount,  and  the  ravine  sewer  near  McElwain 
avenue  the  expense  of  which  was  $13,500.  The  latter,  which 
is  1,571  feet  in  length,  was  an  improvement  long  demanded, 
and  one  of  great  benefit  to  several  portions  of  the  city. 

On  December  31st,  arrangements  were  made  for  publicly 
celebrating  the  advent  of  the  centennial  year.  The  demon 
stration,  which  began  in  the  evening  and  was  continued  un 
til  about  3  A.M.  of  Jan.  1st,  was  thus  described  in  the  Neios  : 

"  The  celebration  of  the  Centennial  New  Year  in  Cohoes 
was  begun  by  the  parade  of  the  Lafayette  Guards  shortly 
before  the  ringing  of  the  bells  at  midnight.  Remsen  street 
was  thronged  with  people,  whose  patriotism,  added  to  the 
spirit  with  which  the  new  year  is  always  welcomed,  caused 
a  general  turn  out  and  demonstration.  Huge  bonfires  were 
lighted,  red  and  blue  fire  burned,  cannon  thundered,  rockets 
and  rornan  candles  were  fired  and  numerous  buildings  along 
the  route  illuminated.  The  bells  of  the  city  churches  and 
factories  clanged  forth  a  thousand  welcomes  in  brazen  tones 
to  the  Centennial  New  Year,  and  even  the  steam  whistles 
on  the  mills  and  Adams  Steamer  did  duty  on  the  occasion." 

A  violent  storm,  which  swept  over  this  section  of  the 
country  on  the  morning  of  Feb.  5,  did  considerable  damage 
to  property  in  this  city.  St.  Bernard's  church  suffered  the 
severest  injury,  in  the  destruction  of  its  spire,  which  was 
over  200  feet  high,  and  one  of  the  handsomest  in  the  neigh 
borhood.  It  was  constructed  under  direction  of  Nichols  and 
Brown  of  Albany  in  1866,  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  The  spire 
was  broken  off  at  its  brick  foundation,  and  crushing  through 


230  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

a  portion  of  the  roof,  fell  upon  the  rail  road  track  .east  of 
the  building.  The  chime  of  bells,  which  had  been  placed  in 
the  belfry  four  years  previous  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  was  badly 
damaged  and  the  total  loss  to  the  church  reached  nearly 
$20,000.  It  wras  expected  that  the  steeples  of  the  Baptist, 
Presbyterian  and  French  churches  which  were  seen  to  sway 
violently  in  the  wind,  would  be  also  demolished,  but  they 
fortunately  were  able  to  withstand  the  gale,  and  none  of 
the  churches  except  the  Baptist  were  injured  to  any  extent. 
A  smaller  spire  on  the  north  side  of  the  latter  building  was 
blown  over,  considerably  damaging  in  its  fall  the  roof,  and 
also  the  residence  of  Mrs.  H.  R.  Grant,  adjoining  the  church 
on  the  north.  A  number  of  small  buildings  were  quite 
badly  damaged,  and  numerous  chimneys  in  all  parts  of  the 
city  suffered  demolition. 

In  March,  bills  were  introduced  in  t*he  legislature  making 
a  number  of  important  changes  in  the  charter,  over  some  of 
which  followed  a  long  and  animated  discussion.  The  law 
committee  of  the  common  council  having  been  directed  to 
draw  up  needed  amendments,  reported  several,  of  which 
the  most  important  were  the  following:  Giving  the  cham 
berlain  power  to  collect  by  sale  of  property  the  arrears  on 
taxes  since  1870,  and  allowing  him  an  extra  compensation 
for  his  services  in  so  doing;  authorizing  him  to  set  apart 
$3,000  annually  for  the  use  of  the  water  board,  instead  of 
allowing  them  a  certain  proportion  of  the  moneys  raised  by 
highway  and  other  taxes  as  formerly;  empowering  the 
common  council  to  compel  the  construction  and  repair  of 
sidewalks,  and  to  appropriate  $1,500  for  the  celebration  of 
the  Fourth  of  July.  Two  further  amendments  were  pre 
pared  —  one  providing  for  the  appointment  of  a  recorder  and 
fixing  his  salary  at  $2,000,  and  the  other  known  as  the 
"omnibus  bill"  —  giving  the  mayor  power  to  appoint  the 
city  attorney,  city  clerk,  and  a  number  of  other  officials, 
whose  salaries  were  in  several  instances  to  be  increased. 
The  bill  in  which  these  were  incorporated  was  drawn  up  by 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  231 

private  parties  and  was  introduced  in  the  legislature  with 
out  having  been  submitted  to  the  common  council,  and  it 
was  to  these  amendments  that  the  greatest  opposition  was 
raised.  When  it  was  found  that  the  bill  had  been  favorably 
reported  by  the  assembly  committee,  a  citizens'  meeting 
was  called  to  take  action  on  the  matter.  This  was  held  at 
Egberts  Hall  on  the  evening  of  March  28,  Henry  Brockway 
presiding.  Fifty  vice  presidents  and  eighteen  secretaries 
were  appointed.  Short  addresses  against  the  amendments 
were  made  by  H.  D.  Fuller,  Justice  Redmond,  Jas.  F. 
Kelly,  aldermen  Nolan  and  Ryan,  and  Chas.  Kolb.  Re 
solutions  were  then  adopted  protesting  against  the  passage 
of  the  bill  without  further  hearing  from  the  citizens,  and 
requesting  Senator  Harris  to  use  his  influence  against  it. 
The  opposition,  especially  to  the  clause  appointing  a  recorder, 
grew  less  however,  as  the  people  became  better  acquainted 
with  the  provisions  of  the  bill,  and  the  Cataract  of  April 
8th,  said: 

"  The  signatures  of  owners  of  over  $2,500,000,  of  the 
taxable  property  in  the  city  have  been  received  to  the  peti 
tion  favoring  the  passage  of  the  charter  amendments,  and 
what  is  the  best  joke  of  all,  more  than  two-thirds  of  the 
officers  of  the  citizens'  meeting,  called  to  protest  against 
them,  were  among  the  signers." 

None  of  the  amendments  were  passed,  however,  except 
those  providing  the  appointment  of  a  recorder  and  assigning 
a  fund  for  the  water  commissioners,  both  of  which  were 
somewhat  changed  since  their  first  draft  —  the  sum  named 
in  the  latter  having  been  raised  from  $3,000  to  $5,000.  No 
general  opposition  to  the  passage  of  several  of  the  others 
was  manifested  among  citizens  but  they  were  "killed" 
through  the  influence  of  a  few  interested  parties.  The  first 
recorder  appointed  by  the  mayor  under  the  new  act  was 
Chas.  F.  Doyle,  who  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office 
June  26,  holding  court  in  the  common  council  chamber. 

Though  the  bill  authorizing  an  appropriation  had  failed 


232  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

to  pass,  the  general  feeling  throughout  the  city  was,  that  the 
centennial  year  demanded  more  than  an  ordinary  celebration, 
and  that  it  would  not  be  to  the  credit  of  the  place,  to  be 
behind  other  cities  in  the  neighborhood,  in  such  manifesta 
tions  of  patriotism.  A  special  election  of  the  tax  payers 
was  accordingly  held  on  May  22,  to  decide  in  regard  to  the 
matter,  which  resulted  in  voting  an  appropriation  of  $1,000. 
A  joint  committee  of  members  of  the  common  council  and 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  was  appointed  to  make  the 
necessary  arrangements,  and  under  its  direction,  the  pro 
gramme  of  the  exercises  was  agreed  upon.  The  citizens  in 
general  took  hold  of  the  matter  with  earnestness,  and  the 
result  was  a  celebration  which  did  credit  to  the  patriotic 
spirit  of  Cohoes.  At  midnight  the  principal  streets  were 
illuminated,  and  the  usual  discharge  of  fire  arms,  lasting 
during  the  day  and  into  the  next  night,  commenced  the 
celebration.  The  main  procession  was  formed  on  Remsen 
street  at  9  A.M.,  and  commenced  its  march  soon  after  in  the 
following  order  : 

FIRST  DIVISION. 

Marshal  and  Chief  of  Column. 
Washingtonians. 

Green's  Band. 
Third  Separate  Company. 

Post  Lyon,  G.  A.  R. 
Hook  and  Ladder  Co.  and  Truck. 

Adams  Steamer  and  Wagon. 

M'Intosh  Hose  Co.  and  Carriage. 

Johnston  Steamer  Co. 

Howarth  Hose  Co. 

Harmony  Co's  Wagon. 

Cannon. 

SECOND  DIVISION. 

Marshals. 

Green's  Band. 

C.  H.  Adams  Zouaves. 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  233 

St.  Bernard's  Society. 

St.  Bernard's  T.  A.  B.  Society. 

St.  Jean  Baptiste  Society. 

St.  Joseph's  Society. 

THIRD  DIVISION. 

Marshal's  Aids. 

Drum  Corps. 

Knights  of  Pythias. 

Delegation  of  Daniel  O'Connell  Society. 

Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians. 

Carriages  containing  Mayor,  Orator,  Reader,  Common 

Council,  and  School  Board. 

Butchers  Mounted. 

Merchants,  &c. 

The  houses  along  the  line  of  march  were  almost  without 
exception  decorated  with  flags,  or  appropriate  emblems. 
After  the  parade,  the  literary  exercises  were  held  on  the 
balcony  of  the  Bret  Harte  House,  on  Remsen  street,  Mayor 
Johnston  presiding.  They  were  as  follows  : 

1.  Music  by  the  Glee  Club,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Targett, 
Green,  Hastings  and  Taylor. 

2.  Reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  by  P.  D. 
Niver,  Esq. 

3.  Music. 

4.  Oration  by  E.  G.  Wager. 

The  features  of  the  afternoon  were  the  parade  of  the 
Philibusters,  who  made  some  very  apt  local  hits,  and  the 
Field  Day  and  Picnic  of  Post  Lyon,  held  on  Simmons's 
Island.  A  display  of  fire  works  in  the  evening  on  the  vacant 
lots  east  of  St.  Bernard's  church,  concluded  the  public  cele 
bration  of  the  day. 

It  has  been  before  mentioned  that  a  futile  movement  to 
extend  Remsen  street  through  to  Saratoga  street,  was  made 
as  early  as  1850.  Eiforts  to  carry  out  this  improvement 
have  been  made  several  times  subsequent,  but  with  no  better 
result.  In  1870,  the  project  came  before  the  common  council, 
who  appointed  a  committee  to  ascertain  its  cost,  which  was 
30 


234  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

reported  as  $5,000.  The  question  was  again  agitated  in  the 
spring  of  this  year,  and  received  then  a  larger  share  of 
public  attention  than  at  any  previous  time.  The  following 
in  regard  to  the  matter  is  from  the  Cataract  of  June  10th  : 

"  Remsen  street  is  now  only  open  to  Newark  street,  but 
the  city  owns  the  land  for  145  feet  further  south.  It  is 
proposed  to  extend  the  street  through  this  land  and  thence 
at  nearly  right  angles  to  Saratoga  street,  intersecting  the 
latter  at  a  point  where  the  state  yard  bridge  crosses  the 
canal.  If  this  is  accomplished,  a  street  will  be  opened 
across  the  Van  Rensselaer  property  to  the  Mohawk  river, 
at  which  point  it  is  proposed  to  locate  the  western  end  of 
the  Adams'  Island  bridge.  It  is  claimed  that  the  cost  of 
the  proposed  extension  will  be  less  than  $4,000.  About  one- 
half  the  property  owners  on  Remsen  street  have  already 
signed  the  petition." 

The  matter  was  under  consideration  some  time  by  the 
common  council,  and  the  final  conclusion  was  that  it  be 
dropped,  owing  to  the  strong  opposition  made  by  interested 
parties  and  property  owners  on  the  street.  Mr.  W.  L. 
Adams,  who,  in  despair  of  ever  getting  the  cooperation  of 
the  authorities,  had  decided  to  build  the  bridge  from  his 
island  to  this  city  at  his  own  expense,  was  only  waiting  for 
some  definite  action  on  the  part  of  the  common  council 
before  commencing  operations.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  it 
was  known  that  Remsen  street  would  not  be  extended,  work 
was  begun.  The  bridge  was  completed  during  the  past 
autumn  at  a  cost  of  about  $25,000.  It  rests  upon  five  stone 
piers,  and  the  superstructure,  which  is  of  iron,  is  450  feet  in 
length,  and  fifteen  feet  above  the  ordinary  level  of  the 
water.  The  approach  to  the  bridge  on  this  side  of  the 
river,  is  by  Ship  street,  south  of  Travis's  lumber  yard,  which 
will  be  opened  from  Saratoga  street  east,  and  a  bridge  built 
across  the  Champlain  Canal.  The  numerous  advantages 
resulting  from  this  improvement  render  it  one  of  the  most 
important  of  the  year.  Our  citizens  have  been  afforded  the 
opportunity  of  purchasing  at  reasonable  figures,  pleasant 
and  healthful  building  sites,  located  at  a  short  distance  from 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  235 

the  business  centre,  and  an  easy  access  is  offered  to  a  mile 
frontage  on  the  Hudson  river,  whenever  the  growth  of  the 
city  may  make  it  needed.  Fifty  acres  on  this  side  of  the 
island  have  been  mapped  and  laid  out  into  city  lots,  498  in 
number,  many  of  which  have  already  been  disposed  of  at 
good  prices,  at  the  auction  sales  which  have  been  held 
during  the  autumn.  Mr.  Adams  owns  all  the  island  except 
100  acres  at  the  northern  end,  and  intends  to  dispose  of  it 
in  lots,  as  occasion  may  require.  The  streets  laid  out  parallel 
with  the  river  are  over  a  mile  long,  and  are  to  be  crossed 
by  streets  running  from  the  Hudson  to  the  Mohawk,  a  dis. 
tance  of  one-half  mile.  It  is  expected  that  the  company 
which  was  granted  a  charter  to  build  a  bridge  from  Lansing- 
burg  to  the  island,  will  commence  operations  in  the  spring, 
and  a  short  and  direct  road  will  thus  be  opened  to  Lansing- 
burg  and  the  upper  part  of  Troy.  The  route  has  already 
proved  popular,  though  the  only  means  of  crossing  the 
Hudson  has  been  a  skiff  ferry,  and  will  doubtless  draw  a 
large  share  of  travel  when  the  bridge  is  completed. 

During  the  past  year,  the  signs  of  general  activity  in  the 
city  have  been  comparatively  few.  Almost  the  only  addi 
tion  of  importance  to  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  place, 
is  the  Ten  Eyck  Axe  M'f'g  Co.,  established  Feb.  23,  with 
a  capital  of  $30,000,  by  the  following  partners  :  Abram, 
Albert  and  Jonas  Ten  Eyck  and  D.  H.  Clute,  Cohoes  ;  Geo. 
Carrigan,  Bayonne,  N.  J.  A  change  in  the  firm  will  soon  be 
made,  and  the  capital  increased.  The  works,  on  Saratoga 
street  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city,  consist  of  a  building 
100  by  32  feet,  containing  forge  shop  and  polishing  shop, 
and  two  wings  each  60  feet  long,  containing  tempering  shop, 
blacksmith  shop,  etc.  The  works  are  run  by  a  steam  engine 
of  60  horse  power.  A  new  factory  has  been  erected  by 
Albert  Smith  &  Co.,  pipe  manufacturers,  near  the  rolling 
mill,  north  of  Courtland  street.  The  building  is  of  wood, 
1 20  by  95  feet,  and  cost  $20,000.  The  capacity  of  the  works 


236  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

has  been  doubled  by  the  construction  of  a  new  furnace,  just 
completed. 

Among  the  most  important  improvements  completed  by 
the  city  authorities,  are  the  paving  of  Remsen  street,  from 
White  street  south,  and  the  construction  of  an  iron  bridge 
on  Johnson  avenue,  built  bythe  Canton  (Ohio)  Bridge  Co.,  at 
a  cost  of  $2,650. 

The  material  growth  of  the  city  is,  of  course,  dependent 
on  the  fortunes  of  its  leading  branches  of  industry,  and  as 
these  have  been  among  the  interests  most  severely  affected 
by  the  panic,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  during  the 
past  year,  and  in  fact  since  1873,  there  have  been  so  few 
striking  evidences  of  progress.  The  panic  has  not  had  the 
result,  however,  of  causing  a  general  retrograde  movement 
in  the  place.  Fortunately  for  Cohoes,  most  of  its  manufac 
turing  concerns  have  had  sufficient  capital  to  enable  them 
to  continue  operations,  though  at  a  loss,  during  this  long 
period  of  depression.  Much  suffering  has  thus  been  pre 
vented  among  the  working  classes  and  the  mercantile  inte 
rests  of  the  city.  Wages  have,  of  course,  been  generally 
reduced,  and  a  number  of  persons  have  been,  at  different 
periods,  without  employment  ;  but  the  condition  of  affairs 
has  at  no  time  been  so  bad  as  might  reasonably  have  been 
anticipated.  We  have  had  none  of  those  long  continued 
strikes  which  have  caused  so  much  distress  elsewhere,  and 
the  degree  of  suffering  among  the  poorer  classes  has  thus 
far  been  much  less  than  in  neighboring  cities. 

At  present  the  prospects  are  by  no  means  gloomy.  Nearly 
all  the  manufacturing  establishments  are  in  operation,  and 
there  are  no  indications  as  yet  that  a  general  stoppage  is 
intended. 

The  state  of  affairs  on  the  whole,  since  1873,  has  thus 
shown  the  truth  of  the  prediction  made  at  that  time,  that 
"  Cohoes  is  in  as  good,  if  not  better,  condition  to  stand  the 
hard  times,  than  any  manufacturing  town  in  the  United 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  237 

States."  Its  growth  has  been  steady,  though  less  rapid, 
than  heretofore.  Although  the  number  of  new  buildings  is 
small,  and  little  additional  capital  has  been  invested  in  busi 
ness  enterprises,  other  signs  of  advancement  are  apparent. 
The  population  has  evidently  increased,  needed  public  works 
have  been  completed,  and  various  important  institutions 
established,  all  attesting  the  fact  that  the  business  depres 
sion  of  the  past  three  years,  though  of  course  retarding,  has 
not  seriously  interrupted  the  progress  of  that  substantial 
development,  which  became  especially  noticeable  soon  after 
the  incorporation  of  Cohoes  as  a  city  ;  and  which  marks  the 
succeeding  period  as  one  of  the  most  important  in  the  history 
of  the  place. 


238  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 


xn. 

MANUFACTURES  AND  VARIOUS  INSTITUTIONS. 

jc:LS  a  conclusion  to  the  history  of  Cohoes,  now  brought 
down  to  the  close  of  the  present  year,  a  brief  account  is 
appended  of  the  manufacturing  establishments  and  various 
public  institutions  of  the  city,  showing  their  condition  at 
present,  and  stating  such  facts  of  importance  concerning 
them  as  have  not  been  elsewhere  mentioned. 

THE  COHOES  COMPANY. —  This  company  has  necessarily 
the  most  prominent  connection  with  the  history  of  Cohoes. 
By  developing  the  water  power  and  offering  inducements 
for  the  settlement  here  of  capitalists,  it  has  been  the  founda 
tion  of  all  the  varied  industries  of  the  place  ;  and  has, 
moreover,  by  the  construction  of  creditable  works  and  im 
provements,  by  liberal  donations  of  land  for  public  purposes, 
and  in  many  other  ways,  contributed  constantly  to  its  growth 
and  prosperity. 

The  early  operations  of  the  company,  and  the  more  im 
portant  improvements  made  from  time  to  time,  have  been 
previously  described.  No  expense  or  labor  has  been  spared 
in  the  development  of  the  material  resources  of  the  place, 
and  the  facilities  now  offered  for  manufacturing  are  second 
to  none  in  the  state. 

The  mill  privilege  which  was  originally  reserved  by  Mr. 
I.  D.  F.  Lansing  in  the  sale  of  his  land,  was  purchased  from 
him  in  1859  for  $20,000,  thus  affording  the  company  com 
plete  control  of  the  water  power  of  the  river  from  half  a 
mile  above,  to  a  mile  below  the  Falls.  The  supply  is  always 
ample,  and  during  the  past  few  years,  while  other  water 
powers  have  failed  at  times,  the  Cohoes  mills  have  suffered 
no  stoppage.  By  the  construction  in  1865  of  the  present 
dam  and  gate  house,  and  the  extension,  at  different  times,  of 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  239 

other  canals  besides  those  already  mentioned,  the  facilities 
of  the  company  have  been  greatly  increased,  and  they  now 
have  a  complete  system,  in  which  the  same  water  can  be 
used  six  different  times,  and  which,  when  entirely  perfected, 
will  be  one  of  the  finest  in  the  country.  The  following  is 
the  present  arrangement  of  the  canals,  as  classified  by  the 
company. 

No.  1.  The  upper  level  (canal  of  1834),  extending  from 
the  dam  to  rear  of  the  Harmony  Mills. 

No.  2.  Mohawk  street  in  front  of  Harmony  Mills. 

"    3.  From  Strong  Mill  to  Clifton  Mill. 

"    4.  Remsen  street,  formerly  known  as  Basin  B. 

"    5.  Ontario  street. 

"    6.  Courtland  street. 

"    7.  Van  Rensselaer  street. 

"    8.  Saratoga  street. 

"    9.  Grove  street. 

"  10.  Remsen  street  continued. 
Nos.  7,  8  and  10  of  the  above  are  unfinished. 
The  total  fall  is  120  feet,  and  the  available  power  is  estab 
lished  at  10,000  horse  power,  but  little  more  than  half  of 
which  is  now  utilized.  The  water,  together  with  the  neces 
sary  quantity  of  land,  is  leased  to  manufacturing  firms  at 
much  lower  rates  than  prevail  elsewhere  —  the  expense  of 
some  of  the  largest  mills  for  water  and  ground  rent  scarcely 
exceeding  $1,000  yearly.  The  company  charges  $200  for  a 
"mill  power,"  which  is  6  cubic  feet  of  water  per  second,  with  a 
20  feet  head  and  fall — or  its  equivalent  —  making  an  annual 
rental  of  about  $20  per  horse  power.  The  exact  quantity 
of  power  used  by  each  manufacturer  is  determined  by  an 
accurate  system  of  measurement,  the  details  of  which  were 
perfected  by  officers  of  the  company.  Among  the  most 
important  of  the  recent  improvements  of  the  company,  is  a 
tunnel,  completed  in  December,  1876,  which  adds  greatly  to 
the  availability  of  the  water  power.  It  extends  from  the 


240  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

end  of  Canal  No.  1,  to  a  point  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
about  twenty  feet  from  its  bed,  opposite  the  south  tower  of 
Harmony  Mill,  No.  2.  Its  opening  is  6  by  7  feet,  its  length 
360  feet,  and  the  fall  from  the  surface  of  the  canal  to  the 
outlet  is  about  70  feet,  affording  a  pressure  capable  of 
moving  the  entire  body  of  water  at  least  7  feet  per  second. 
By  means  of  this  tunnel  the  necessity  of  stopping  the  mills 
to  remove  the  accumulations  of  ice  and  debris  in  the  upper 
canal  was  entirely  obviated.  The  ice  would  frequently 
form  to  such  an  extent  that  the  flow  of  water  in  the  canal 
was  materially  obstructed,  and  the  company  were  compelled 
to  cut  it  out  and  remove  it  by  hand,  a  tedious  and  expensive 
process.  Under  the  new  arrangement  the  ice  can  be  floated 
down  to  the  tunnel  gates  and  then  discharged,  without  in 
terrupting  the  running  of  the  mills.  The  work  was  designed 
and  superintended  by  D.  H.  Van  Auken,  engineer  of  the 
company,  and  was  done  by  Houlihan  &  Stanton,  about  six 
months  being  required  for  its  excavation. 

The  officers  of  the  company  since  its  incorporation  have 
been  as  follows: 
President.     Canvass  White,  1826-1834. 

Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  Jr.,  1834-1841. 

Wm.  N.  Chadwick,  1841-1847. 

Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  Jr.,  1847-1849. 

Teunis  Van  Vechten,  1849-1853. 

Robert  Christie  Jr.,  1853-1854. 

Chas.  M.  Jenkins,  1854-1859. 

Alfred  Wild,  1859-1868. 

Wm.  T.  Garner,  1868 . 

Secretary.     Henry  J.  Wyckoff,  1827-1828. 

Francis  Olmsted,  1828-1829. 

Henry  J.  Wyckoff,  1829-1 834. l 
Agent.  Hugh  White,  1833-1834. 

Chas.  A.  Olmsted,  1834-1835. 

Joab  Houghton,   1835-1840. 

Clarkson  F.  Crosby,  1840-1841. 


1  After  this  year  the  agent  acted  as  secretary. 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  241 

Hugh  White,  1841-1847. 
Francis  S.  Claxton,  1847-1850. 
T.  G.  Younglove,  1850-1875. 
Wm.  E.  Thorn,  1875. 

The  officers  elected  for  the  present  year  were:  Wra.  T. 
Garner,  president;  Wm.  E.  Thorn,  sec'y  and  treas. ;  Wra. 
T.  Garner,  Wm.  W.  Xiles,  Samuel  W.  Johnson,  Jno.  Crosby 
Brown,  David  J.  Johnston,  Wm.  E.  Thorn,  Chas.  C.  Birds- 
eye,  directors. 

THE  HAEMONY  MILLS. —  Proprietors:  Garner  &  Co.,  New 
York,  D.  J.  Johnston,  Cohoes,  Wm.  E.  Thorn,  Cohoes. 
Chief  in  importance  among  the  manufacturing  concerns  of 
Cohoes  is  the  above,  devoted  to  the  production  of  cotton 
cloth.  The  mill  erected  by  the  Harmony  M'fg  Co.,  in 
1837,  was  for  some  years  among  the  most  prominent  in  the 
place,  and  after  the  building  of  the  Ogden  and  Strong  Mills 
in  1846,  this  branch  of  manufacture  assumed  the  leading 
position  here  which  it  has  since  retained. 

The  change  of  proprietorship  in  the  Harmony  Mill  in 
1850  was  the  beginning  of  a  course  of  steady  prosperity, 
and  its  owners,  besides  erecting  several  large  factories  at 
different  times  have  come  into  possession  of  the  other  two 
mills,  thus  founding  a  mammoth  establishment,  the  most 
important  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States.  The  existence 
of  a  manufacturing  concern  of  such  magnitude  has  of  course 
been  of  the  utmost  benefit  to  Cohoes  in  a  business  point  of 
view,  and  contributed  largely  to  its  prosperity.  Through 
its  means  large  accessions  have  been  made  to  the  population, 
and  the  constant  expenditures  made  by  the  corporation  in 
wages,  in  the  erection  of  buildings  and  in  various  improve 
ments  have  been  of  marked  advantage  to  the  commercial 
interests  of  the  place.  But  aside  from  this  Cohoes  is  under 
great  obligations  to  the  proprietors  of  the  Harmony  Mills 
for  the  work  they  have  done  towards  its  material  improve 
ment.  Their  factory  buildings  are  all  handsomely  con 
structed,  and  the  grounds  connected  with  them  tastefully 
laid  out;  the  streets  and  sidewalks  adjacent  to  their  pro- 
31 


242  HlSTOEY   OF    COHOES.       ,  1876. 

perty  are  kept  in  the  best  condition,  and  the  well  built 
blocks  of  tenements  which  have  been  erected  in  different 
localities  —  more  particularly  on  the  West  Harmony  —  are 
creditable  additions  to  the  buildings  of  the  city.  Of  these 
tenements,  which  are  nearly  1000  in  number,  over  half  have 
been  erected  since  1860.  Those  more  recently  constructed, 
at  the  northwest  of  Prospect  Hill,  occupy  ground  which  ten 
years  ago  was  used  as  farm  land,  but  is  now  regularly  laid 
out  in  well  graded  and  macadamized  streets  provided  with 
asphalt  sidewalks.  The  tenements  are  let  to  the  operatives 
at  a  merely  nominal  price,  and  in  this,  as  in  all  other  respects, 
the  company  has  manifested  a  laudable  regard  for  the  com 
fort  of  those  in  its  employ. 

The  depression  of  the  past  three  years  has  of  course 
severely  affected  the  market  for  cotton  cloths  and  in  this 
establishment,  as  in  all  others  of  the  kind,  a  general  reduction 
of  wages  has  been  found  necessary,  though  it  has  not  been 
so  great  as  those  made  in  other  manufacturing  towns. 
There  has,  however,  been  but  a  trifling  reduction  in  the  num 
ber  of  operatives  employed,  and  the  mills  have  almost  con 
stantly  since  the  panic  been  running  at  their  full  capacity. 

The  following  statistics  show  the  number  of  operatives 
employed,  and  the  amount  of  machinery  in  operation  at 
present: 

Operatives.  Looms.  Spindles. 

Mill  No.  1,                       912  #12  35,800 

"       "     2,                       703  1,038  47,328 

"       "     3,                     1,639  2,654  125,936 

"       "     4  (Ogden),      403  632  30,276 

"       "     5  (Strong),      220  330  14,424 

Jute  Mill,                           97  22  850 

Bag  Mill,                          147  62  3,440 

4.121  5,650  258,054 

During  the  past  year  29,250  bales  of  cotton  were  con 
sumed,  equal  to  13,700,000  Ibs.,  and  5,600  bales  of  jute, 
equal  to  2,240,000  Ibs. 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  243 

The  production  for  1876  was  as  follows  :  79,500,000  yards 
printing  cloths,  percales,  wigans,  and  jaconets.  600,000 
seamless  bags,  2,130,000  pounds  jute  goods,  3,000  bales 
cotton  batting.  The  value  of  the  annual  production  is 
estimated  at  $3,000,000,  and  the  monthly  pay  roll  will 
average  $70,000. 

The  present  officers  are  :  Wm.  E.  Thorn,  agent ;  Robert 
Johnston,  general  manager  ;  D.  J.  Johnston,  superintendent; 
Wm.  S.  Smith,  paymaster. 

KNITTING  MILLS. —  The  manufacture  of  knit  goods  has 
always  been  a  distinguishing  branch  of  Cohoes  industry. 
The  first  machinery  for  the  purpose  was  here  put  in  opera 
tion,  and  a  factory  established,  which  for  many  years  was 
the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  country  ;  the  most  important 
improvements  which  have  since  been  made  in  the  process  of 
manufacture  are  the  inventions  of  Cohoes  mechanics,  and 
many  of  the  machines  in  general  use  among  knitting  mills 
are  now  constructed  here.  Though  of  late  years  it  has  been 
extensively  prosecuted  in  other  towns,  Cohoes  still  occupies 
the  foremost  position  in  this  branch  of  manufacture.  The 
factory  buildings  in  this  city  for  substantial  construction 
and  perfection  of  detail  are  second  to  none  in  the  country, 
and  the  goods  produced  have  a  wide  reputation  and  com 
mand  the  best  markets.  It  is  impossible  at  present  to  give 
accurately  the  statistics  of  production  of  the  seventeen 
knitting  mills  which  are  now  in  operation.  Since  the  panic 
many  of  them  have  been  shut  down  for  greater  or  less 
periods,  and  the  number  of  operatives  employed,  and  amount 
of  wages  paid,  have  varied;  the  grade  and  style  of  the  goods 
manufactured  have  been  changed  from  time  to  time  to  suit 
the  market,  so  that  the  amount  of  annual  production  cannot 
be  exactly  named  ;  this  of  course,  in  connection  with  the 
fact  that  prices  have  been  steadily  falling,  makes  it  im 
possible  to  fix  a  definite  value  on  the  sales  of  any  one  year. 
The  figures  given  below  represent,  in  the  case  of  almost 
every  establishment,  an  average  year's  business. 


244 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


1876. 


d 

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fl 

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1 

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fl 

QQ 

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1 

1 

1 

C£ 

1 

The  Troy  M'fg  Co. 

David  Cowee,  prest.  ;  Jno.  V. 

S.  Lansing,  treas.  ;  Jas.  L. 

Thompson,  sec'y. 

10 

229 

$5,500 

40,000 

$275,000 

The  Root  M'f'ff  Co. 

Josiah     G.     Root,      prest.  ; 

Samuel    G.    Root,    supt.  ; 

Andrew  J.  Root,  treas.   and 

gen.  manager  ;  Geo.  Wa 

terman,  Jr.,  sec'y. 

12 

300 

8,000 

45,000 

500,000 

J.  H.  Parsons  &  Co. 

J.  H.  Parsons,  Mrs.  L.  S.  Par 

sons,  and  W.  S.  Gilbert. 

13 

300 

9,000 

45,000 

400,000 

The  Atlantic  Mill. 

Geo.  E.  Thompson  and  John 

Horrocks. 

6 

105 

2,700 

22,000 

145,000 

The  Ranken  Knitting  Co. 

Geo.  Campbell,  prest.  ;  Henry 

J.  Ranken,  sec'y.  and  treas. 

7 

145 

3,500 

22,000 

200,000 

American  Hosiery  Mill. 

Wm.  M.  Gregory  and  Jon 

athan  Hiller. 

6 

85 

2,600 

24,000 

120,000 

The     Victor    Mill.  —  Henry 

Brock  way. 

6 

105 

3,000 

20,000 

150,000 

The  Empire  Mill.—  Wm.  & 

Jno.  A.  Nuttall. 

6 

90 

2,700 

20,000 

140,000 

The  Star  Knitting  Co. 

Thos.  Coleman,  prest.  ;  R.  H. 

Thurman,    treas.  ;    O.    G. 

Clark,  ag't. 

8 

140 

5,000 

27,000 

300,000 

The     Adams    Mill.  —  John 

Wakeman. 

6 

125 

4,000 

25,000 

175,000 

The    Ontario    Mill.—  Wm. 

N.  Chadwick,  Jos.  Chad 

wick,  P.  R.  Chadwick. 

6 

100 

2,000 

25,000 

150,000 

The  Mohawk  Mill.  —Samuel 

Bilbrough. 

5 

120 

3,000 

24,000 

150,000 

TJie  Erie  Mill.—Wm.  Moore. 

4 

75 

2,200 

17,000 

136,000 

The  Enterprise  Mill.—  John 

Scott. 

5 

110 

2,500 

20,000 

160,000 

The  Diamond  Mill.—  3.  W. 

Himes,  A.  C.  Vail. 

6 

200 

3,000 

25,000 

150,000 

The  Globe  Mill.—  Alfred  Le 

Roy,  Jas.  Lamb. 

6 

100 

3,500 

25,000 

175,000 

The  Pine  Grove  MilL—H. 

D.  Fuller,  Chas.  Hay. 

6 

50 

1,500 

18,000 

100,000 

118   2,379    $63,700  444,000  $3,426,000 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  245 

IKON  MANUFACTURE. —  A  large  amount  of  capital  is  here 
invested  in  different  branches  of  iron  manufacture.  The 
most  important  interest  is  the  production  of  axes  and  edge 
tools,  which  from  the  foundation  of  the  first  factory  in  1835, 
by  Simmons  &  Silliman,  has  always  been  one  of  the  special, 
ties  of  Cohoes.  The  goods  turned  out  are  of  the  first  quality 
and  have  a  world  wide  reputation. 

The  figures  given  below  in  regard  to  this,  and  other 
branches  of  manufacture,  represent  in  nearly  all  cases,  an 
average  business.  It  is  difficult  to  obtain  exact  statistics, 
for  as  a  general  thing,  the  works  are  run  according  to  the 
orders  received,  and  the  production  consequently  varies 
greatly.  For  the  past  three  years,  none  of  the  establishments 
have  been  run  at  their  full  capacity. 

The  Weed  &  Becker  M'f'ff  Co.—  Officers :  Wm.  H. 
Weed,  president  ;  S.  A.  Becker,  vice  president ;  Jas.  E.  Place 
treasurer  ;  C.  Riley,  secretary.  The  producing  capacity  of 
the  company's  works  is  100  dozen  axes  and  75  dozen  tools 
daily.  The  value  of  the  annual  production  is  from  $200,000 
to  $400,000,  and  the  average  pay  roll  is  $9,000. ' 

Empire  Edge  Tool  Works. —  M.  H.  Jones  &  Co.,  proprie 
tors.  The  firm  consists  of  M.  H.  Jones  and  A.  G.  Peck. 
From  60  to  75  men  are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of  $2,000  to 
$2,500.  The  annual  production  is  from  10,000  to  15,000 
dozen  axes  and  tools  valued  at  from  $75,000  to  $100,000. 

The  Ten  Eyck  Axe  M^fg  Co.—  Jonas  S.  Ten  Eyck,  trea 
surer.  The  company  employs  from  40  to  50  men  at  an 
average  pay  roll  of  $1,200.  The  daily  production  is  500 
pieces,  including  both  axes  and  edge  tools. 

The  Cohoes  Rolling  Mill. —  Morrison,  Colwell  &  Page, 
proprietors.  The  firm  manufactures  bar  and  band  iron. 
About  200  men  are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of  $6,000.  The 
annual  production  is  6,000  tons  of  iron  at  an  average  value 
of  $60  per  ton. 


1  Per  month.    This  is  to  be  understood  in  the  case  of  each  concern  mentioned. 


246  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  1876. 

Empire  Tube  Works. —  Albert  Smith  &  Co.  proprietors. 
The  firm  manufactures  gas  and  steam  pipe.  About  30  men 
are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of  $1,250.  Five  tons  of  iron  are 
used  daily.  The  annual  production  of  the  works  is  3,000,000 
feet  of  pipe  at  an  average  value  of  $180,000. 

Campbell  and  Glute. —  The  firm  manufactures  chiefly 
knitting  machinery.  On  an  average  40  hands  are  employed 
at  a  pay  roll  of  $2,000.  The  annual  production  is  valued  at 
$100,000. 

William  T.  Horrobin. —  Mr.  Horrobin  is  proprietor  of 
the  Cohoes  Iron  Foundery  and  Machine  shop.  He  manu 
factures  chiefly  cotton,  woolen  and  flouring  mill  machinery, 
and  architectural  iron  work.  When  running  full  150  work 
men  are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of  $6,000,  and  the  annual 
production  is  valued  at  $200,000.  The  capacity  of  the 
furnace  is  8  to  10  tons  per  day. 

Tubbs   &   Severson. —  The   firm   manufactures   knitting 
machinery.     On  an  average  15  hands  are  employed  at  a  pay 
roll  of  $800.     The  annual  production  is  worth  $15,000. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 

Cohoes  Knitting  Needle  Factory. —  Henry  Dawson  and 
Chas.  Knott,  proprietors.  The  firm  employs  1 5  hands.  The 
annual  production  is  2,500,000  needles  valued  at  $15,000. 

Sash  and  Blind  Factory . —  A.  J.  Griffin,  proprietor.  On 
an  average  12  men  are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of  $600.  The 
annual  production  is  valued  at  $30,000. 

Cohoes  Bedstead  Factory. —  P.  S.  Holsapple,  proprietor. 
The  articles  manufactured  are  bedsteads,  cribs  and  cradles. 
About  25  men  are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of  $1,200.  The 
average  annual  production  is  valued  at  $50,000. 

Cohoes  Straw  Board  Co. —  Officers:  T.  G.  Younglove, 
pres't;  M.  S.  Younglove,  vice  pres't;  J.  "W.  Moore,  sec'y; 
Henry  W.  Edwards,  treas.  Employment  is  given  to  25 
men  at  a  pay  roll  of  $1,350.  The  daily  production  is  5  to 
6  tons  of  straw  board,  the  value  of  which  amounts  annually 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  247 

to  between  $75,000  and  $125,000.  During  the  year  2,500 
tons  of  straw  are  consumed. 

Flouring  Mill. —  Jas.  McMartin  proprietor.  Nine  hands 
are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of  $450.  The  annual  production 
is  40,000  bbls.  valued  at  $280,000. 

American  Soap  Co. —  Mrs.  H.  R.  Grant,  proprietor.  Six 
hands  are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of  $212.  The  annual  pro 
duction  is  395,000  Ibs.  of  soap  of  different  kinds,  valued  at 
$21,750. 

Cohoes  Lime  and  Cement  Co. —  Officers :  D.  T.  Lamb, 
pres't;  T.  G.  Younglove,  sec'y;  D.  H.  Van  Auken,  treas. 
The  company  employs  45  hands  at  a  pay  roll  of  $2.000. 
Annual  production  is  valued  at  $100,000. 

The  Trost  and  Bezner  M'fg  Co. —  John  T.  Saxe,  pro 
prietor.  This  establishment  manufactures  furniture  and 
fancy  articles  in  wood  of  various  kinds.  50  hands  are  em 
ployed  at  an  average  pay  roll  of  $2,100.  The  estimated 
value  of  the  annual  production  is  $75,000. 

The  Cohoes  Warp  and  Thread  Co. —  Collins  Arnold, 
treas.  About  60  operatives  are  employed  at  a  pay  roll  of 
$1,400.  The  annual  production  is  416,000  Ibs.  of  hosiery 
yarns,  valued  at  $110,000. 

Brick  Yard. —  Patrick  Rogers,  proprietor.  Annual  pro 
duction  at  present  1,000,000  brick  valued  at  $8,000,  but  in 
a  good  building  season  from  5,000,000  to  8,000,000  brick 
are  manufactured. 

Paper  Box  Factories. —  Of  these  there  are  five,  the 
proprietors  being  as  follows  :  Isaac  Clute,  established 
Aug.  1,  1864  ;  David  Morris,  established  1865  ;  F.  E. 
Pennock,  established  June,  1868;  J.  C.  Sanford,  established 
March  18,  1872  ;  J.  S.  and  E.  Hughes,  Jan.  1,  1876.  The 
specialty  of  all  these  establishments  is  boxes  for  knit  goods 
for  the  home  trade,  though  some  of  them  have  at  times 
turned  out  boxes  for  collars  and  other  purposes.  The  busi 
ness,  though  commenced  not  long  since,  has  become  quite 


248  HISTORY  or  COHOES.  1876. 

an  important  feature  of  Cohoes  manufactures.  Before 
the  panic,  employment  was  given  to  from  100  to  125  hands, 
and  nearly  1,000,000  boxes  were  annually  produced.  Exact 
figures  of  the  production  at  present  cannot  be  ascertained. 
The  above  establishments  do  not  vary  greatly  in  capacity, 
and  each  employs  from  10  to  20  hands,  according  to  the 
condition  of  business  —  at  a  monthly  pay  roll  of  from  $400  to 
$600,  producing  from  500  to  800  boxes  daily  at  an  annual 
value  of  from  $15,000  to  $20,000. 

NEWSPAPERS,  ETC. 

The  Cohoes  Cataract. —  William  Bean,  proprietor.  Size 
26  by  38  inches,  8  columns  to  the  page.  It  is  published  every 
Saturday  morning,  and  is  republican  in  politics.  The  pro 
prietors  of  the  Cataract  since  its  foundation  have  been  as 
follows  :  Stow  &  Co.,  Jan.  1st,  to  March  1st,  1849  ;  Silli- 
man  &  Miller:  to  Aug.,  1851;  James  H.  Masten:  to  Aug. 
1856;  A.  F.  Onderdonk:  to  Dec.,  1856:  Jas.  H.  Masten:  to 
Dec.,  1867;  A.  S.  Baker  &  Co.:  to  Dec.,  1869;  Jas. 
H.  Masten  &  Co.  :  to  Dec.,  1870  ;  Jas.  H.  Masten  :  to 
July  15,  1871;  William  Bean.  The  publication  office  was 
removed  by  Silliman  and  Miller,  in  Nov.,  1850,  to  the  old 
Presbyterian  church,  corner  Factory  and  Remsen  streets, 
where  it  remained  for  eight  years,  and  was  then  established 
by  Jas.  H.  Masten  in  the  third  story  of  Caw  and  Quacken- 
bush's  (now  Silliman's)  building,  the  entrance  being  on 
Oneida  street.  In  this  building  it  has  since  remained  (though 
it  is  now  on  the  ground  floor),  with  the  exception  of  an  in 
terval  from  Jan.,  1870,  to  April,  1875,  when  it  was  located 
in  the  second  story  of  Adams'  block,  Remsen  street. 

The  Cohoes  Democrat. —  Jas.  F.  Kelly,  proprietor.  Size 
26  by  40  inches,  8  columns  to  the  page.  Published  every  Satur 
day  morning.  Mr.  Cady's  interest  in  the  paper  was  bought 
by  Jas.  F.  Kelly,  in  Nov.,  1870,  and  the  partnership  of 
Atkinson  and  Kelly  formed,  which  was  dissolved  Aug.  29, 
1873,  by  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Atkinson.  The  publication 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  249 

office  of  the  paper  has  remained  since  its  establishment  in 
the  second  story  of  North's  block,  Mohawk  street. 

TJie  Cohoes  Daily  News. —  Edward  Monk  and  Samuel 
Sault,  proprietors.  Size  22  by  30  inches  6  columns  to  the  page. 
Published  at  noon  every  day  except  Sundays.  Independent 
in  politics.  The  name  of  Mr.  Sault  first  appeared  as  a 
partner,  June  3d,  1874.  The  office  of  the  paper  was  moved 
from  Granite  Hall,  to  the  third  story  of  North's  block,  Dec. 
20,  1873,  and  was  established  in  its  present  location,  Camp 
bell  and  Clute's  block,  Mohawk  street,  April  25,  1874. 

La  Patrie  Nouvelle. —  J.  B.  Authier  &  Bro.,  proprietors. 
Size  18  by  26  inches,  5  columns  to  the  page.  Published  every 
Tuesday.  Republican  in  politics.  The  office  has  been  loca 
ted  since  the  paper  was  established,  in  Lynch's  building, 
Remsen  street  near  Columbia  street. 

The  Northern  Herald. —  Williams  and  Eagan,  proprie 
tors.  Size  30  by  44  inches,  6  columns  to  the  page,  quarto.  It 
appears  every  Sunday  morning.  Independent  in  politics. 
The  first  number  was  issued  Sept.  4th,  from  83  Ontario 
street,  which  had  been  occupied  as  the  office  of  the  Eagle. 

The  Peoples  Railway  Guide. —  Chas.  S.  Pease,  pro 
prietor,  24  pages.  Established  Oct.,  1875,  and  is  published 
every  fortnight. 

BANKING  INSTITUTIONS. 

The  National  Bank  of  Cohoes. —  C.  H.  Adams,  president; 
Murray  Hubbard,  cashier.  Became  a  National  Bank,  May 
31,  1865.  Its  capital  was  increased  from  $100,000  to 
$250,000  Aug.,  1872.  Mr.  Hubbard  was  elected  cashier 
March  5th,  1862,  in  place  of  James  M.  Sill.  Mr.  Adams 
became  president  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Egberts,  in  March, 
1869. 

Manufacturers'1  Bank  of  Cohoes. —  Wm.  E.  Thorn,  pre 
sident  ;  Norman  W.  Frost,  cashier.  Its  capital  was  in 
creased  from  $100,000  to  $150,000,  July  1,  1874. 

Cohoes  Savings  Institution. —  Henry  D.    Fuller,   presi- 
32 


250  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

dent  ;  John  Hay,  secretary;  T.  G.  Younglove,  treasurer  ; 
Edward  W.  Fuller,  ass't  treas. 

Mechanics'  Savings  Sank. —  Robert  Johnston,  president; 
William  S.  Smith,  secretary;  Abner  J.  Griffin,  treasurer  ; 
Le  Roy  Yermilyea,  ass't  treas. 

POST  OFFICE. 

Jas.  H.  Hasten,  P.  M. ;  A.  W.  Adams,  Geo.  W.  Cook, 
clerks.  The  first  post  office  was  located  at  Mr.  Water 
man's,  near  the  junction.  On  the  appointment  of  Mr. 
Howe,  it  was  moved  to  his  new  store  on  the  canal  bank 
near  the  present  Jute  Mill,  where  it  remained  for  a  short 
time.  It  was,  in  1833,  taken  to  the  building  just  erected  by 
E.  L.  Miller,  on  Mohawk  street,  opposite  the  City  Hotel. 
When  this  was  burned  in  1847,  the  office  was  moved  to  a 
building  on  the  west  side  of  Mohawk  street,  between  Oneida 
and  St.  John's  alley.  In  May,  1851,  it  was  established  in 
a  building  erected  by  Dr.  Carter,  on  Oneida  street,  east  of 
Remsen,1  where  it  remained  until  1861,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  months  (August  to  October),  in  1854,  when  it  was 
moved  to  a  building  in  St.  John's  alley,  in  the  rear  of  J. 
M.  Brown's  (now  Mrs.  I.  Terry's)  store.  On  the  appoint 
ment  of  I.  W.  Chesebro,  in  August,  1861,  the  office  was 
located  in  his  drugstore  on  Remsen  street.'2  In  1865,  J. 
H.  Masten  transferred  it  to  his  building  on  the  site  of  Music 
Hall,  in  which  locality  it  has  since  remained,  except  while 
the  new  building  was  in  progress  of  erection  —  during  which 
time  the  office  was  located  in  Rogers'  block. 
The  postmasters  have  been  as  follows  : 

Frederick  Y.  Waterman,  appointed  23d  Feb..  1832. 

Hezekiah  Howe,  "  13th  July,  1833. 

Peter  F.  Daw,  "  28th  July,  1854. 

Geo.  H.  Wager,  "  Vth  June,  1855. 

Izrakiah  W.  Chesebro,          "  Vth  Aug.,  1861. 

Jas.  H.  Masten,  "  16th  June,  1865. 


i  Now  A.  H.  Frink's  cigar  store.       2  Now  occupied  by  Ten  Eyck  &  Browne. 


1876. 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


251 


Samuel  D.  Trull,1  appointed    19th  Oct.,  1866. 

Jas.  H.  Masten,  "  20th  Oct.,  1867. 

The  clerks  in  the  post-office  have  at  different  times  kept 
records  of  the  way  in  which  Cohoes  was  spelled  on  letters 
received  at  the  office,  some  of  which  have  been  published 
in  the  local  paper.  The  following  list,  recently  prepared, 
presents  more  varieties  of  orthography  than  any  of  those 
which  have  previously  appeared: 


Kahouse 

Coohoos 

Chosoes 

Coahoos 

Cohoo 

Coose 

Caulioose 

Cowhes 

Cowhewes 

Cohewes 

Gohues 

Chohes 

Chohose 

Chose 

Cohyose 

Coheys 

Chohous 

Coughoes 

Clohoes 

Couhs 

Cahos 

Couuse 

Caughues 

Coolioues 

Kohoose 

Koose 

Chouse 

Cahous 

Cohoze 

Cahaaes 

Chase 

Cahoose 

Gohoeses 

Cohees 

Cohoe 

Cohouse 

Cohause 

Cohese 

Coheos 


Kaho 

Cuchues 

Calhoue 

Cughes 

Cououse 

Kowhes 

Cochoes 

Choess 

Couwoos 

Gehus 

Gohose 

Cocose 

Tohoes 

Cocuse 

Colose 

Cohoer 

Cohosa 

Cayouse 

Cohooes 

Cohosse 

Gohougs 

Dohes 

Caehaues 

Chiohoe 

Coohooze 

Ceoe 

Kose 

Koohos 

Coss 

Kohons 

Coeys 

Coehouse 

Coohooes 

Choohuse 

Cohoise 

Chahoos 

Keoues 

Coughies 

Kehoose 


Coughoos 

Choswos 

Coehoose 

Kohouze 

Cohouse 

Coehoose 

Koehoughs 

Chogues 

Cooce 

Coohooeas 

Calhouse 

Coquis 

Capaes 

Coohuis 

Chaooze 

Kahahauee 

Keoges 

Kooze 

Caous 

Coas 

Cohose 

Choose 

Cahoes 

Cuhuse 

Cohooes 

Couos 

Choes 

Cohie 

Khoose 

Cohes 

Grouse 

Choze 

Cohooze 

Cahose 

Couhous 

Cohohoes 

Coheas 

Choous 

Chaus 


Kehooze 

Chuhouse 

Hachooze 

Chouhose 

Choohoo 

Cougheoes 

Co  House 

Cousfall 

Cohoughs 

Coohoo  falls 

Choeos 

Koihrs 

Choo  Has-falla 

Kahouse 

Choohouse 

Kawoes 

Cowhese 

Coughows 

Couho 

Cohou 

Chooess 

Cohoos 

Couhoues 

Couhouse 

Cahoos 

Coho 

Cohas 

Cohous 

Chaos 

Cohues 

Gohoes 

Cohoase 

Cohaes 

Cohaughes 

Cahuuse 

Cohois 

Chooes 

Choese 

Cowes 


1  Appointed  but  not  confirmed. 


252  HISTORY  OF  OOHOES.  1876. 

Kewes  Cowis  Camoes  Chohoes 

Gelioosc  Coohooss  Khouse  Cahooes 

Cohowus  Coquies  Colcoes  Cheha/e 

Koohose  Cochoos  Goes  Colioese 

Kohoos  Keuyer  Cohoas  Curlmes 

Couhoes  Cauauses  Coewes  Cowyous  falls 

Cookolioves  Coushous  Coloes  Cayousse 

Chouscouse  Kaliosa  Cawis  Coughy 

Cohouth  Cliahoose  Keahose  Coughwheeze 

Coaches  Chohoose  Colioucliea  Cohoes 
Cheches 

CHURCHES,  &c. 

St.  Johrfs  Episcopal  Church. —  The  church  was  under 
direction  of  Rev.  Orange  Clark  of  Waterford,  until  1833, 
when  Rev.  Cyrus  Stebbins  assumed  the  missionary  charge 
of  the  parish  which  he  retained  until  1841.  The  subsequent 
rectors  have  been  as  follows  :  David  J.  Burger,  1841  ; 
Edward  F.  Edwards,  1844  ;  J.  B.  Gilson,  1844-49  ;  J.  W. 
Shackleford,  1849-50  ;  James  Adams,  1850-53  ;  Theodore 
Babcock,  1853-59  ;  Alpheus  Spor,  1859-1863  ;  J.  H.  Hobart 
Brown,  1863-75  ;  Walker  Gwynne,  1876.  The  number  of 
communicants  is  at  present  about  500,  and  twice  that  num 
ber  of  individuals  are  connected  with  the  church.  The  Sun 
day  school,  Robert  Weir,  sup't,  has  about  300  scholars.  Up 
to  1875,  there  were  entered  upon  the  parish  register  :  bap 
tisms  984,  confirmations  502,  burials  481. 

Reformed  Church. —  The  following  have  been  pastors  : 
William  Lockhead,  1838  to  1840;  John  Van  Buren,  1840 
to  1841  ;  Gilbert  M.  P.  Myer,  1841  to  1846  ;  John  Gray, 
1846  to  1848  ;  Chas.  N.  Waldron,  1849.  A  fine  organ, 
costing  over  $5,000,  was  placed  in  the  church  in  1866,  a 
gift  from  three  members  :  Egbert  Egberts,  Jno.  Y.  S.  Lan 
sing  and  D.  J.  Johnston.  The  present  membership  is  over 
300.  A  large  Sabbath  school  is  connected  with  the  church 
of  which  Rev.  Dr.  Waldron  is  sup't,  and  D.  H.  Van  Auken 
ass't  supt. 

Baptist  Church. —  The  pastors  have  been  as  follows: 
Revs.  John  Duncan,  H.  Rounce,  J.  Eastwood,  E.  Dwyer, 
M.  Cameron,  B.  F.  Garfield,  S.  Wilder,  D.  Round,  Ira  E. 


1876.  HISTOEY  OF  COHOES.  253 

Kenney,  Robert  Thompson,  David  Corwin,  "W.  H.  Maynard, 
A.  J.  Bingham,  C.  D.  Gun*,  C.  A.  Johnson,  L.  S.  Johnson. 
The  present  membership  is  380.  The  Sabbath  school,  of 
which  P.  S.  Holsapple  is  sup't,  has  400  scholars. 

Presbyterian  Church. —  The  following  clergymen  have 
had  charge  of  the  church.  Those  marked  with  an  asterisk 
were  regularly  installed  as  pastors  :  Revs.  Mr.  Chamberlin, 
Dec.,  1839  ;  Mr.  Allen,  1840  ;  *John  Gray,  Oct.  22,  1841  ; 
L.  H.  Pease,  May  22,  1843  ;  Daniel  C.  Frost,  Oct.  3,  1845  ; 
*R.  P.  Stanton,  Feb.  9, 1848  ;  ^Stephen  Bush,  Feb.  1,  1855  ; 
Villeroy  D.  Reed,  April,  1860  ;  H.  G.  Blinn  ;  *F.  W.  Flint, 
1864  ;  Horatio  Pattengill,  1866  ;  *Wm.  M.  Johnson,  Oct. 
1,  1867.  The  lecture  room  east  of  the  church  was  erected 
in  1865  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  The  parsonage,  at  the  corner 
of  Ontario  and  Mohawk  streets,  was  purchased  during  the 
same  year,  from  the  estate  of  Wm.  G.  Caw  for  $6,000. 
During  the  present  season  a  fine  organ,  costing  $3,150,  has 
been  placed  in  the  church,  and  the  lecture  room  has  been 
greatly  enlarged  and  improved.  The  membership  of  the 
church  is  400,  and  of  the  Sunday  school  420.  The  superin 
tendent  of  the  latter  is  H.  B.  Silliman. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. —  Until  1845,  the  church 
was  connected  with  that  in  Waterford,  as  one  charge,  and 
was  under  the  direction  of  the  following  clergymen  :  E. 
Crawford,  Oliver  Emerson,  Benj.  Pomeroy,  Thomas  Armi- 
tage,  Mr.  Tubbs,  Mr.  Warner.  The  subsequent  pastors  have 
been  :  G.  A.  Wells,  Cicero  Barber,  Jacob  Leonard,  L. 
Potter,  Timothy  Benedict,  Myron  White,  Robert  Fox,  Wm. 
R.  Brown,  Ensign  Stover,  H.  L.  Starks,  J.  W.  Carhart, 
D.D.,  R.  R.  Meredith,  H.  L.  Sexton,  Lorenzo  D.  Marshall, 
Horace  L.  Grant,  C.  R.  Hawley,  Wm.  H.  Meeker.  The  pre 
sent  membership  is  450.  The  Sabbath  school,  of  which 
Silas  Owen  is  superintendent,  has  500  scholars,  and  55 
teachers. 

St.    Bernard's    Catholic    Church. —  Rev.  Bernard   Van 


254  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

Reeth,  the  first  pastor,  remained  in  Cohoes  until  Oct.,  1853, 
and  was  then  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  Daly,  now  of  St. 
John's  church,  Utica.  In  June,  1855,  the  present  pastor, 
Rev.  Thos.  Keveney,  was  appointed,  who  did  not  commence 
his  duties  until  the  following  August,  Rev.  John  Ludden, 
now  of  Florence,  N.  S.,  officiating  meanwhile.  Father 
Keveney  is  at  present  assisted  by  Revs.  Thos.  Silvester 
Keveney  and  Thos.  Cullen.  There  are  now  in  Cohoes  over 
5,000  Catholics,  exclusive  of  Canadians.  The  number  of 
infant  baptisms  recorded  in  St.  Bernard's  parish  from  1847 
to  1876,  is  over  5,000,  and  of  deaths  in  the  congregation, 
nearly  4,000. 

St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church  (French}. —  The  first  pastor, 
Rev.  L.  H.  Saugon,  entered  upon  his  duties  Aug.  23d,  1868. 
The  present  incumbent,  Rev.  J.  O.  La  Salle,  formerly  of 
Champlain,  N.  Y.,  came  here  after  the  death  of  Father 
Saugon,  Dec.  19th,  1869.  There  are  now  about  2,500  per 
sons  connected  with  the  church,  of  whom  1,800  are  com 
municants. 

German  Baptist  Church. —  The  present  pastor,  Henry 
Hilzinger,  has  officiated  since  the  organization  of  the  church. 
Present  membership,  35. 

Park  Methodist  Church. —  This  was  organized  Nov.  9, 
1876.  The  building  occupied  is  on  the  Bowery,  north  of 
Columbia  street,  and  was  erected  by  the  M.  E.  church  in 
1873,  as  a  mission  chapel.  The  first  communion  was  held 
Dec.  3,  1876.  Number  of  communicants,  51.  The  Rev. 
Hiram  Blanchard  is  pastor,  and  Nathan  Thomas  is  sup't 
of  the  Sunday  school.  The  officers  are  as  follows  :  Trus 
tees  :  Nathan  Thomas,  Richard  Herell,  Monroe  Tompkins, 
Jacob  Travis,  Aaron  Goddard,  J.  S.  Ten  Eyck,  Chas. 
Spanswick,  John  Wilber,  John  Dunlap.  Stewards  :  Henry 
Farmilo,  Geo.  Mink,  Henry  Watt,  Jas.  Watt,  John  Viegle, 
Henry  Van  Den  Bergh,  Jacob  Craley,  Peter  Nelson,  W. 
W.  Delanoy. 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  255 

Harmony  Hill  Union  Sunday  School. —  The  present 
officers  are:  D.  J.  Johnston,  superintendent;  Joseph  Wood, 
1st  ass't  superintendent;  Thomas  Fillings,  2d  ass't  superin 
tendent;  Wm.  S.  Smith,  secretary;  Richard  Bolton,  ass't 
secretary ;  George  Dixon,  treasurer;  Abram  Peck,  librarian; 
Robert  Campbell,  ass't  librarian;  Wm.  R.  Brooks,  janitor. 
The  number  of  members  at  present  is  1,124  of  whom  203 
have  been  admitted  during  the  past  year.  The  whole  num 
ber  admitted  since  the  organization  of  the  school  is  3663. 
PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

Cohoes  was  one  of  the  first  villages  in  the  state  to  de 
mand  an  improvement  on  the  old  system  of  district  schools, 
and  a  special  law,  passed  in  1850,  enabled  it  to  enjoy  the 
advantages  of  free  schools  before  other  places  in  the 
neighborhood.  The  interest  thus  manifested  among  the 
citizens  in  regard  to  educational  matters  has  since  con 
tinued,  and  the  public  schools  have  always  been  among 
the  most  creditable  institutions  of  the  place. 

The  principal  facts  in  the  history  of  the  system,  and  the 
erection  of  the  earliest  school  houses  in  the  village  have 
been  elsewhere  mentioned.  There  are  now  in  the  city  under 
the  control  of  the  Board  of  Education,  31  schools,  thus 
arranged:  primary  25,  intermediate  4,  grammar  1,  high  1. 
Eight  buildings  are  occupied,  of  which  seven  are  the  pro 
perty  of  the  city.  They  are  as  follows: 

State  Yard  school. —  On  Saratoga  street.  Built  about 
1835.  Is  of  wood,  one  story  high,  32  by  20  feet. 

Columbia  Street  school. —  Corner  of  Main  and  Columbia 
streets.  Built  1856.  Is  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  60  by 
30  feet.  It  has  been  enlarged  during  the  past  year,  and  its 
capacity  doubled  at  an  expense  of  $5,000. 

West  Harmony  school. —  Mangham  street.  Built  1859- 
1863.  Is  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  80  by  40  feet. 

Egberts  High  school. —  White  street.  Rented  of  the 
trustees  of  Egberts  Institute  in  August,  1868.  Is  of  brick, 
three  stories  high,  38  by  36  feet. 


256  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

East  Harmony  school. —  School  street.  Built  1869.  Is 
of  brick,  two  stories  high,  43  by  28  feet. 

White  Street  school. —  Built  1871.  Is  of  brick,  three 
stories  high,  66  by  40  feet. 

Pleasure  Ground  school. —  Corner  Bowery  and  Elm 
streets.  Built  1873.  Is  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  70  by 
33  feet. 

Lincoln  Avenue  school. —  Lincoln  avenue  north  of  Spring 
street.  Built  1875.  Is  of  wood,  two  stories  high,  and  46 
by  26  feet. 

The  seating  capacity  of  these  schools  is  1950.  The  value 
of  the  buildings  belonging  to  the  city  is  estimated  at  $50,000 
and  that  of  the  lots  on  which  they  are  situated  as  $40,000. 
There  are  now  employed  38  teachers,  as  follows: 

State  Yard. —  Miss  Alice  Murray. 

Columbia  Street. —  Miss  Sarah  Runkle,  Miss  Etta  A.  Hal- 
stead,  Miss  Mary  A.  Winney,  Miss  L.  H.  Bowman,  Miss  E. 
M'Connel,  Miss  Wright,  Miss  O'Reilly. 

West  Harmony. —  Miss  Agnes  L.  Bromley,  Miss  M.  J. 
O'Reilly,  Miss  Jennie  M.  Chisholm,  Miss  Kitty  McMartin, 
Miss  Minnie  Stiles,  Miss  K.  E.  Hayden,  Miss  E.  L.  Murray, 
Miss  Katy  Doyle. 

Egberts  High  school. —  Mr.  Oliver  P.  Steves,  Miss  Ella 
A.  Page,  Miss  Anna  E.  Brewster,  Miss  Mary  E.  Robbins, 
Miss  Clarke. 

East  Harmony. —  Miss  Mary  E.  Hall,  Miss  Nellie  Valley, 
Miss  Louisa  Robinson. 

White  Street. —  Miss  E.  L.  Hastings,  Miss  Elizabeth 
Humphreys,  Miss  Belle  Z.  Van  Der  Werkar,  Miss  S.  Ella 
Thomas,  Miss  Frank  Mclntyre,  Miss  Sarah  Lawrence,  Miss 
Anna  T.  Hayden. 

Pleasure  Ground. —  Miss  Emma  Monk,  Miss  Harriet  J. 
Monk,  Mrs.  De  Graff,  pro  tern.,  Miss  Susie  Flagler. 

Lincoln  Avenue. —  Miss  Ida  Van  Arnum,  Miss  Clara 
Brown.  Music  teacher,  Mr.  Otis  R.  Greene. 


1876. 


HISTORY  OF  COHOES. 


257 


The  Egberts  Institute  building  on  White  street  was  leased 
in  1868  by  the  Board  of  Education,  from  the  trustees  of  the 
Institute' at  a  nominal  rent,  on  condition  that  an  academic 
department,  or  high  school  be  always  taught  therein.  The 
Egberts  High  School  was  then  organized,  succeeding  the 
academic  department  of  Egberts  Institute.  The  teachers 
of  this  department  from  its  organization,  have  been  as 
follows  : 
Rev.  Alexander  B.  Bullions,  principal  from  July,  1864,  to  Feb.,  1865. 

Feb.,  1865,  to  July,  1866. 

Sept.,  1866,  to  July,  1868. 

Oct.,   1868,  to  May,  1869. 

Aug.,  1869,  to  July,  1870. 

Aug.,  1870,  to  Dec.,  1870. 

Feb.,  1871. 
Assistant  Oct.,    1872,  to  June,  1873. 

Aug.,  1873,to  March,  1875. 

April,  1875,  to  July,  1876. 

Aug.,  1876. 


Mr.  Charles  P.  Evans, 
Rev.  A.  J.  Bingliam, 
Mr.  W.  H.  Nellis, 
Mr.  Robert  Hardie, 
Mr.  E.  H.  Torrey, 
Mr.  Oliver  P.  Steves, 
Miss  Emma  Osterhout, 
Miss  Ella  A.  Page, 
Miss  Mary  L.  D.  Wilson, 
Miss  Ella  A.  Page, 


Evening  schools  are  taught  during  part  of  each  year  in 
the  buildings  on  the  East  and  West  Harmony,  Columbia 
and  White  streets,  with  an  average  attendance  of  500. 
During  the  year  ending  Feb.,  1876,  2,443  pupils  attended 
the  day  and  evening  schools  some  portion  of  the  year,  as 
follows : 

In  school  building  No.  1  First  Ward, 233 

"2      "        "        612 

"   3  Third  Ward, 459 

"4    "  "      337 

"   5  Fourth  Ward, 489 

"6      "          "        101 

"7      "          "        65 

"   8  Fifth  Ward, 147 

Concerning  the  expense  to  the  tax  payers  of  maintain 
ing  the  schools,  the  following  extracts  from  the  last  annual 
report  of  Mr.  Hubbard,  president  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
will  be  of  interest  : 

"  I  think  there  is  not  another  instance  where  a  city  has 
grown  so  rapidly  as  Cohoes,  and  greatly  increased  school 
accommodations  have  been  required,  that  the  cost  of  the 
construction  of  its  school  buildings  has  been  paid  solely 
from  the  taxes  raised  annually.  For  the  erection  of  new 

33 


258  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

school  houses,  in  other  growing  cities,  money  has  been  raised 
by  the  creation  of  a  bonded  debt.  .  .  . 

In  1875,  the  per  capita  expense  on  the  number  of  children 
enrolled  during  the  year  was  $9.35;  on  the  average  attend 
ance  $24.79.  I  have  not  the  reports  of  the  following  cities 
for  1875,  but  by  reference  to  their  reports  for  the  year  prior 
(and  it  is,  I  think,  fairly  presumable  that  their  expenses 
have  not  since  been  diminished  much),  I  find  the  expenses 
of  maintaining  their  schools  as  follows  : 

On  No.  Enrolled.         On  Ave.  Attendance. 

Albany, $14.93,  $27.14  per  capita. 

Kingston, 20.28,  29.92 

Saratoga  Springs, 13.46,  26.04 

Syracuse, 18.05,  25.74 

Troy, 14.35,  26.39 

Utica, 16.14,  25.96 

Cohoes  in  1874, 9.41,  24.50 

The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  children  of 
school  age  resident  in  Cohoes,  in  different  years,  according 
to  the  census: 

Years.  Years. 

1855, 1110.  1872, 9200. 

1860, 1605.  1873, 9504. 

1865, 4055.  1874, 9547. 

1870, 7679.  1875, 9607. 

1871, 8259.  1876, 8879. 

FIRE  DEPARTMENT. 

Cohoes  has  suffered  from  few  disastrous  fires.  Those 
which  have  occurred  have  been  at  rare  intervals,  and  in 
nearly  every  case  have  been  confined  to  the  buildings  in 
which  they  originated.  For  the  good  fortune  of  the  place 
in  the  latter  respect  it  is  indebted  to  a  fire  department,  which 
from  its  earliest  days,  has  been  well  organized  and  efficient, 
and  to  the  existence  in  later  years  of  a  valuable  system  of 
water  works.  The  first  organization  of  the  fire  department 
and  the  substitution  of  steam  for  hand  engines,  have  been 
related  elsewhere,  as  being  the  most  important  facts  in  its 
history.  The  department  is  at  present  constituted  as  fol 
lows  :  Martin  Redmond,  chief  engineer  ;  John  G.  French, 
1st  ass't  ;  Patrick  Hogan,  2d  ass't ;  Elbert  E.  Richmond, 
3d  ass't. 


1876.  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  259 

Alden  Hose  Co.  No.  1. —  James  Barter,  foreman.  Or 
ganized  June  22d,  1860.  First  foreman,  Daniel  Simpson. 

Geo.  H.  Wager  Hook  and  Ladder  Co. —  Wm.  Maby 
foreman.  Organized  Oct.,  1865.  First  foreman,  Bernard 
Galligan. 

Chas.  H.  Adams  Steamer  Co. —  Jas.  A.  Stimson,  cap 
tain.  Organized  June  17,  1867.  First  captain,  L.  Vreden- 
berg. 

Daniel  E.  Mclntosh  Hose  Co. —  M.  Platz,  foreman. 
Organized  Oct.  10,  1867.  First  foreman,  Chas.  N.  Green. 

Robert  Johnston  Steamer  Co. —  Organized  Feb.  25th, 
1868.  First  foreman,  Daniel  Simpson. 

Edwin  Hitchcock  Hose  Co. —  Michael  Larkin,  foreman. 
Organized  1869. 

Geo.  Campbell  Hose  Co. —  Wm.  Dewar,  foreman.  Re 
organized  in  July,  1870,  from  the  old  Cataract  Engine  Co. 
No,  1. 

Two  companies,  the  Howarth  Engine  Co.,  M.  Thornton 
capt.,  and  the  Nolan  Steamer  Co.,  Jas.  Wilson  capt.,  are 
not  in  active  service.  The  former  was  organized  in  1870, 
and  for  some  time  took  charge  of  the  Old  Mohawk  engine, 
their  quarters  being  in  the  engine  house  on  Johnston  avenue. 
It  was  relieved  from  duty  by  the  common  council  in  Nov., 
1873,  until  suitable  accommodations  could  be  provided. 
For  the  latter  company  no  apparatus  has  yet  been  obtained. 
The  buildings  occupied  by  the  different  companies  were 
erected  as  follows  : 

Campbell  Hose  House,  Cataract  alley, 1848 

WaTerHoT&i,  Co.  }    House,  Oneida  St.  cor.  Canvass 1867 

Hitchcock  Hose  House,  Main  st.  near  Columbia, 1 869 

Alden                                              Johnston  ave.  cor.  Garner  st, .     1869 
M'Intosh      "         "  Oneida  st.  near  Canvass 1873 


260  HISTORY  OP  COHOES.  1876. 

SOCIETIES,  ETC. 

MASONIC. 

Cohoes  Lodge,  No.  116. —  Symbolic  Masonry.  Organ 
ized  Oct.  21,  1846,  and  chartered  Feb.  5th,  1847,  the  mem 
bers  at  the  time  being  as  follows:  Ebenezer  Wadsworth, 
W.  M. ;  Geo.  Abbott,  Sr.  W. ;  John  B.  Harrison,  Jr.  W. ; 
Wm.  Orelup,  Jr.  sec'y;  Reuben  White,  treas. ;  Geo.  C., 
Griffin,  Sr.  D. ;  Elbridge  G.  Mussey,  Jr.  D. ;  Stephen  Doty, 
Tyler; — David  Wilkinson,  Orson  Parkhurst,  Lewis  Valley 
Darius  Parkhurst,  Jas.  Murray,  John  Sanderson,  Isaac  F. 
Fletcher,  Sylvanus  Twist.  The  rooms  of  the  fraternity  were 
first  located  in  the  second  story  of  the  building  on  the  north 
east  corner  of  Oneida  and  Mohawk  streets,  then  owned  by 
John  McDougal,  and  were  afterwards  moved  to  Lansing's 
building,  corner  of  Factory  and  Mohawk  streets,  and  still 
later  to  Silliman's  building,  Remsen  street.  The  Masonic 
Hall  in  Johnston's  Block  has  been  occupied  since  August, 
1871.  Present  officers:  Albert  Ten  Eyck,  W.  M.;  Ch'arles 
S.  Travis,  S.  W. ;  Richard  D.  Christie,  J.  W. ;  Rodney  Wil- 
cox,  treas.;  Paul  Game,  sec'y;  Alfred  Gould,  S.  D.;  James 
Aitkin,  J.  D. ;  James  Barrie,  Sr. ;  and  Anson  Tabor,  Jr.  M.  of 
C. ;  William  Warner,  Charles  Nealy,  stewards;  Rev.  W. 
II.  Meeker,  chaplain;  A.  S.  Targett,  organist;  Daniel  Mc- 
Intosh,  marshal;  Kendall  Hodgson,  tyler;  Wm.  Clough,  Geo. 
T.  Carter,  Benjamin  Smith,  trustees. 

Cohoes  Chapter,  No.  168. —  Capitular  Masonry,  instituted 
in  1858.  Present  officers:  David  Gould,  high  priest;  James 
Aitkin,  E.  K.;  Richard  D.  Christie,  E.  S.;  William  Clough, 
treasurer;  M.  Van  Benthuysen,  sec'y;  John  McNiven,  C. 
of  H.;  G.  H.  Billings,  P.  S.;  Henry  Mills,  R.  A.  C.;  Joseph 
Eccles,  M.  3d  V.;  Kendall  Hodson,  M.  2d  V.;  Martin  Gil- 
more,  M.  1st  V.;  George  H.  Howarth,  tiler;  Rev.  W.  H. 
Meeker,  chaplain;  Benjamin  Coveney,  organist. 

Mohawk   Council  No.  29. —  Cryptic  Masonry.     Organ- 


1876.  HISTOKY  OF  COHOES.  261 

ized  1867.  Present  officers:  L.  D.  Sanborn,  T.  I.  M. ;  W.  H. 
Aiken,  R.  I.  D.  M. ;  Benjamin  Coveney,  I.  P.  C.  W. ;  George 
Neil,  recorder;  H.  Levison,  treasurer;  Joseph  Chadwick, 
Capt.  G.;  Geo.  Waterman,  Jr.,  Cond.  C.;  Rev.  Geo.  C. 
Thomas,  chaplain;  Thomas  Hatcher,  steward;  James  Du- 
rant,  sentinel. 

Union  Board  of  Relief  (Masonic\  of  Lansingburg, 
Waterford  and  Cohoes.  Regular  meetings,  third  Friday 
at  Waterford,  Lansingburg  and  Cohoes,  consecutively. 
A.  Ten  Eyck,  president;  Geo.  E.  Shumway,  vice  president; 
R.  D.  Christie,  treasurer;  John  E.  Gage,  secretary. 

ODD  FELLOWS. 

Spartan  Lodge  No.  210,  I.  0.  of  0.  F.—  Organized  in 
1843,  surrendered  its  charter  in  1867,  and  was  reorganized 
March  11,  1869.  Present  officers:  James  W.  Clark,  N.  G.; 
G.  G.  Black,  V.  G.;  Chas.  E.  Simons,  R.  S.;  Chas.  S.  Sault, 
per.  sec.;  J.  Hiller,  treasurer. 

Cohoes  Encampment,  No.  71,  I.  0.  of  0.  F. —  Organ 
ized  July,  1872.  Present  officers:  Albert  Porter,  C.  P.; 
George  Dean,  H.  P.;  Chas.  E.  Simons,  S.  W.;  G.  G.  Black, 
J.  W. ;  James  W.  Clark,  scribe ;  Nathan  Shaver,  treasurer. 

TEMPERANCE. 

D.  J.  Johnston  Lodge,  I.  0.  of  G.  T. —  Organized  April 
28,  1868.  Present  membership,  105.  Officers:  Deputy  G. 
W.  C.  Templar,  T.  C.  Collins;  W.  C.  T.,  Geo.  Mather;  L. 
H.  S.,  Ella  Rowe;  R.  H.  S.,  Mrs.  Wm.  Fletcher;  W.  Y.  T., 
Mary  Ferris;  W.  R,  S.,  H.  M.  Connelly;  W.  A.  S.,  Ada 
Rhodamere;  W.  F.  S.,  Jas.  H.  Crossingham;  W.  treas.,  Mrs. 
Margaret  Leah ;  W.  chap.,  T.  C.  Collins;  W.  marshal,  Wm. 
Efnor;  W.  dep.  marshal,  Eva  Frisbie;  W.  B.  G.,  Lydia 
Crossingham;  W.  O.  G.,  Chas.  Welles;  P.  W.  C.  T.,  Chas. 
Skinkle. 

St.  Bernard's  Teetotal  Abstinence  Benevolent  Society. — 


262  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

Organized  May  10,  1868.  Present  officers  :  Edward  Welch, 
president  ;  Wm.  Healey,  treasurer  ;  James  Caffrey,  record 
ing  secretary. 

Temperance  Brethren. —  Organized  1870. 

D.  J.  Johnston  Temple  of  Honor. 

MILITARY. 

C.  H.  Adams  Zouaves. —  Organized  Sept.,  1870.  Pre 
sent  officers  :  captain,  J.  A.  Stimson  ;  lieutenants:  1st,  E. 
J.  Clute  ;  2d,  E.  McCready  ;  sergeants  :  orderly,  E.  J.  Fos 
ter  ;  2d,  John  Egan  ;  3d,  P.  J.  Cannon  ;  4th,  Thomas  Hig- 
gins  ;  5th,  W.  H.  Nolan  ;  corporals:  first,  John  Grey  ;  2d, 
H.  Tanner  ;  3d,  James  Neary  ;  4th,  Frank  Egan  ;  5th,  H. 
McMurray.  Membership  of  company  50,  of  staff  12. 

Third  Separate  Co.  Infantry  National  Guard  S.  N~.  Y. 
10th  Brig.  3d  Div. —  Captain,  P.  R.  Chadwick  ;  1st  lieu 
tenant,  J.  W.  Brooks  ;  2d  lieutenant,  Samuel  Sault  ;  num 
ber  of  enlisted  men  115. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

St.  Vincent  De  Paul  Society. — Organized  1865  ;  William 
Acheson,  president  ;  Wm.  Healey,  treasurer ;  Patrick 
Healey,  vice  president  ;  Edward  Flanigan,  secretary  ;  num 
ber  of  members  40. 

N.  G.  Lyon  Post  43,  G.  A.  E. —  Organized  Oct.  14, 
1867,  with  thirty  members  and  the  following  officers  :  com 
mander,  A.  T.  Calkins  ;  senior  vice  com.,  Silas  Owens  ; 
junior,  Malachi  Weidman  ;  adjutant,  Le  Roy  Vermilyea  ; 
quartermaster,  Geo.  VanDer  Cook.  Present  officers  :  com 
mander,  John  Nolan  ;  senior  vice,  Chas.  Me  Collough  ; 
junior  vice,  George  Norton  ;  chaplain,  M.  Redmond  ; 
quartermaster,  P.  G.  Tymerson  ;  officer  of  the  day,  J. 
Helmerick  ;  delegate,  M,  Redmond  ;  alternate,  Charles 
Travis. 

The  Friendly  Society  of  the  Sons  of  Scotia, —  Organized 


1876.  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  263 

February  12th,  1869.  First  officers  :  William  Whitehill, 
president  ;  John  Me  Ewan,  secretary.  Present  member 
ship  80.  Present  officers  :  John  Campbell,  president ;  John 
Buchanan,  1st  vice  president  ;  Robert  Taylor,  2d  vice  presi 
dent  ;  Malcolm  Me  Niven,  chaplain;  James  Hay,  treasurer  ; 
Andrew  M.  Browne,  financial  secretary  ;  James  D.  Scott, 
recording  secretary  ;  trustees  :  James  Lamb,  John  Holmes, 
John  Me  Ewan,  Andrew  M.  Browne  and  James  Aitken. 

Egberts'  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  No.  56. —  Instituted 
June  3d,  1871.  Officers:  P.  C.,  Geo.  Greason;  C.  C.,  Chas. 
P.  Craig;  V.  C.,  Malcolm  McPhail;  R.  C.,  A.  Hoben;  F. 
C.,  Jas.  Delve;  B.  K,  E.  A.  Mills.  Present  officers:  P.  C., 
Malcolm  McPhail ;  C.  C.,  Thomas  Page  ;  V.  C.,  John 
Groves;  P.,  Anthony  Fairchild;  K.  of  R.,  D.  J.  Sollinger; 
M.  F.,  David  Williams;  M.  E.,  Adam  T.  Stebbins;  M.  A., 
John  Hilton;  J.  G.,  John  M.  Geer;  O.  G.,  Henry  Roberts. 
Trustees :  Thos.  Page,  Jno.  N.  Geer,  Edward  Buckley. 

St.  Jean  Baptiste  Society. —  Organized  Aug.  10,  1871, 
L.  St.  Charles,  treas. 

The  Cohoes  Medical  Society. —  Organized  August,  1874, 
with  the  following  officers  :  president,  Dr.  J.  W.  Moore; 
vice  pres't.,  Dr.  L.  Boudrias;  secretary,  Dr.  J.  D.  Feather- 
stonhaugh;  treasurer,  Dr.  C.  E.  Witbeck.  Present  officers : 
pres't.,  L.  Boudrias;  vice  pres't,  Jas.  D.  Featherstonhaugh; 
sec'y,  O.  H.  E.  Clarke;  treas.,  John  U.  Haynes;  censors, 
Joseph  W.  Moore,  Thos.  S.  Parker,  Chas.  E.  Witbeck. 
Present  membership,  13. 

St.  George's  Cohoes  Benevolent  Society. —  Organized 
June,  1875,  with  the  folio  wing  trustees:  Wm.  Clough,  Wm. 
Warner,  Thos.  Higgins,  Lees  Wrigley,  Wm.  H.  Gwynn. 

St.  John's  Brotherhood. —  Organized  Feb.  22,  1876,  with 
the  following  officers:  Pres't,  Robert  Weir;  1st  vice  pres., 
JohnHorrocks;  2d  vice  pres't,  James  Tubbs;  3d  vice  pres't, 
Michael  Andrse;  recording  sec'y,  M.  Van  Benthuysen; 
financial  sec'y,  Daniel  M.  Adams;  treas.,  Reuben  Lee;  pre- 


264  HISTORY  OF  COHOES.  1876. 

center,  Samuel  Horrocks;  organist,  Harry  J.  P.  Green.  Pre 
sent  membership,  50. 

The  Cohoes  Boat  Club. —  Organized  July,  1876,  with 
the  following  officers:  president,  Win  B.  Benedict;  secre 
tary,  Geo.  H.  House;  treasurer,  Geo.  H.  McDowell;  captain, 
F.  Hastings;  lieutenant,  Wesley  Miller.  There  are  at  pre 
sent  16  members.  A  boat  house,  15  by  50,  has  been  erected 
by  the  club  on  Adams's  Island,  near  Mr.  Adams's  house. 

St.  Joseph's  Union. —  Julian  Thibadeau,  treas. 


Assessed  Valuation  of  Property  in  Cohoes. 

Years. 

1848  $421,452.00  1872     3,010.030.00 

1858   1,501,346.00  1873  3,098.630.00 

1868  3,249,701.00  1874  3.462,608.00 

1870  2,894,335.00  1875 3,606,419.00 

1871  3,027,750.00 

Census  Table. 

Years.  Inhabitants.  Years.  Inhabitants. 

1830 150  1855 6,106 

1835 750  1860 8,800 

1840 1850  1865 8,795' 

1845 2029  1870 15,373 

1850 4229  1875  17,482 

The  last  census  in  detail  is  as  follows  : 

Total  Pop.  Voters. 

Natives.  Naturalized.  Total. 

1st  Ward,                 6,415                   274              629  903 

3d      "                       3,233                   359              280  639 

3d      "                       5,041                   459              559  1,018 

4th    "                       2,793                   310              267  577 

17,482  1,402  1,735  3,137 

No.  of  dwellings  1,761,  No.  of  families  3,246. 


1  Private  census  showed  9,765. 


APPENDIX, 


NECROLOGICAL   RECORD. 

JLHE  following  record  of  deaths  —  except  those  occurring  prior  to 
1847  —  lias  been  taken  from  the  columns  of  the  Cohoes  Advertiser, 
Cataract,  Daily  News,  and  tlie  Troy  Times. 

In  the  limits  of  the  present  work  it  is  of  course  impossible  to  give 
little  more  than  .simple  announcements  of  deaths,  except  in  the  case  of 
individuals  who  have  been  prominently  connected  with  the  history  of 
Cohoes.  In  almost  every  instance  where  an  extended  notice  is  given 
it  consists  of  an  abridgement  of  the  obituary  article  published  in  one 
of  the  above  papers  at  the  time. 

1834. 

Dec.  18,  Canvass  White,  aged  44.  Canvass  White  was  born  in 
Whitestown,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  8th,  1790.  His  health,  from  his  infancy, 
was  always  delicate,  and  being  unable  to  share  with  his  brothers  the 
severe  labor  of  farm  life,  his  earlier  years  were  passed  as  clerk  in  a 
country  store  at  Whitestown.  His  mechanical  ingenuity  and  inventive 
genius  were  apparent  at  an  early  age,  and  were  turned  to  practical  ac 
count  in  the  improvement  of  many  utensils  in  use  on  the  farm.  In 
1811,  he  was  compelled  on  account  of  poor  health  to  take  a  sea  voyage 
from  which  he  returned  the  following  year.  Soon  after,  he  entered 
the  army  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  and  saw  some  months  of  active 
service.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  his  duties  as  clerk, 
but  his  strong  taste  for  mathematical  and  scientific  pursuits  rendered 
this  life  an  irksome  one,  *nd  he  soon  left  it,  to  pursue  his  studies  in 
Fairfield,  and  afterwards  in  Clinton.  In  the  latter  place  he  was  en 
gaged  for  a  short  time  in  chemical  manufacturing,  but  this  proving 
unsuccessful,  he  returned  home,  and  assisted  in  the  management  of 
the  farm.  In  the  spring  of  1816  he  joined  the  corps  of  engineers  for 
the  Erie  Canal  under  Benj.  Wright,  whose  confidential  friend  and  as 
sociate  he  soon  became.  Mr.  White  had  a  most  kindly  and  winning 
disposition,  which  won  for  him  the  esteem  and  friendship  of  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  when  in  1817,  he  made  the  acquaint 
ance  of  Grov.  DeWitt  Clinton,  it  was  but  a  short  time  before  that  gen 
tleman  entertained  the  highest  regard  for  his  personal  qualities  and 
the  utmost  confidence  in  his  professional  abilities.  Little  was  then 
known  in  this  country  of  the  actual  details  of  canal  navigation  and  as 
the  information  given  in  English  books  was  vague  and  unsatisfactory, 
Mr.  White  went  to  England  in  the  autumn  of  1817,  at  the  solicitation 
of  the  governor,  to  examine  in  person  the  English  canal  system. 
During  his  stay  of  several  months  abroad  he  traveled  over  2000  miles 
on  foot,  studying  closely  the  construction  of  every  canal,  gate,  lock 
and  culvert.  On  his  return  he  brought  with  him  drawings  of  the 

34 


266  APPENDIX. 

most  important  structures,  and  the  model  of  the  first  boat  which  was 
built  for  the  Erie  Canal.1 

Considerable  difficulty  was  experienced  by  the  canal  commissioners 
in  procuring  a  cement  suitable  for  use  in  the  construction  of  locks  and 
it  was  finally  proposed  to  import  the  needed  article  from  England,  at 
considerable  expense.  Mr.  White  gave  his  attention  to  the  matter, 
however,  and  after  repeated  experiments,  succeeded  in  manufacturing 
from  a  stone  found  in  Madison  Co.,  an  hydraulic  cement  which  exactly 
answered  the  purpose,  and  on  which  he  obtained  a  patent  in  1820.  He 
was  interested  in  its  manufacture  for  several  years  subsequent.  Mr. 
White's  share  in  the  construction  and  development  of  the  Erie  Canal 
was  an  important  one.  As  regards  authority  he  was  second  only  to 
Mr.  Wright,  and  every  plan  or  measure  of  importance  was  submitted 
to  his  judgment  before  being  acted  upon. 

It  was  while  he  was  engaged  in  the  construction  of  the  canal  that 
Mr.  White's  attention  was  called  to  the  eligibility  of  this  locality  as 
the  site  for  a  great  manufacturing  town.  In  1825  he  devoted  himself 
to  the  formation  of  a  company  to  develop  the  remarkable  water  power 
of  the  place,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Governor  Clinton,  succeeded  in 
interesting  a  number  of  capitalists  in  his  enterprise.  The  result  was 
the  incorporation  of  the  Cohoes  Co.,  in  March,  1826,  Mr.  White  was 
the  first  president  of  the  company,  and  acted  as  its  agent.  Though 
necessarily  away  a  large  portion  of  the  time  while  engaged  on  other 
works,  he  devoted  a  good  deal  of  his  personal  attention  to  the  laying 
out  of  plans  for  the  development  of  the  company's  resources  and  the 
formation  of  a  manufacturing  town.  He  was  succeeded  as  agent  by 
his  brother  Hugh  White,  in  1830,  though  continuing  to  have  an  active 
part  in  the  direction  of  the  company's  affairs.  He  never  had  a  resi 
dence  in  Cohoes,  but  while  engaged  here,  boarded  in  Troy.  From  the 
completion  of  the  Erie  Canal,  until  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  White 
was  constantly  employed  in  different  parts  of  the  country  in  public 
works  of  importance.  Among  the  principal  works  which  he  planned 
or  superintended  during  these  years,  may  be  mentioned  the  Susque- 
hanna  and  Schuylkill  Canal,  the  improvements  of  the  Schuylkill  Navi 
gation  Co.,  the  New  Haven  and  Farmington Canal,  theLehigh  Canal, 
(1827-1828),  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal  (1830),  and  the  Delaware 
breakwater.  Mr.  White  was  induced  to  take  a  contract  for  the  com 
pletion  of  the  latter  structure,  and  by  the  mismanagement  of  others 
was  a  loser  to  a  large  amount. 

In  1834  his  failing  health  compelled  him  to  leave  business,  and  he 
went  to  Florida,  hoping  that  the  climate  would  have  a  favorable  effect 
upon  his  disease,  which  was  consumption,  but  the  step  had  been  taken 
too  late,  and  within  a  month  after  landing,  he  died,  on  December 
18th.  His  remains  were  brought  north  and  interred  at  Princeton,  N.  J., 
where  his  family  were  residing  at  the  time.  The  estimate  in  which 
Mr.  White's  professional  abilities  were  held  by  his  contemporaries,  may 
be  seen  by  the  following  remark  of  Henry  Clay,  addressed  to  a  gentle 
man  who  was  seeking  an  engineer  for  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal : 
"  Get  Mr.  Canvass  White  ;  no  man  more  competent,  no  man  more 


i  This  boat,  which  was  called  the  "Chief  Engineer  of  Rome"  in  honor  of  Bcnj. 
Wright,  was  launched  upon  the  canal  between  Whitcstown  and  Rome,  amidst  the 
greatest  rejoicing  of  the  people  of  the  neighborhood.  The  model  was  kept  in  Mr. 
White's  family  lor  fifty  years  and  then  presented  to  the  Buffalo  Historical  Society. 


APPENDIX.  267 

capable.  And  while  your  faitli  in  his  ability  and  fidelity  increases, 
your  friendship  will  grow  into  affection. "  It  was  also  said  by  Gen. 
Bernard,  U.  S.  engineer,  "  as  a  civil  engineer  he  had  no  superior  ;  his 
genius  and  ability  were  of  surpassing  magnitude."  Mr.  White's 
gentle  disposition,  and  the  kindly  charm  of  his  manner,  had  endeared 
him  to  all  whom  he  chanced  to  meet,  and  his  early  death  was  mourned 
by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

1841. 

Nov.  27,  Joseph  Mudge,  aged  57.  "  Removed  to  Cohoes  in  1833, 
from  Ipswich,  Mass  ,  and  being  a  first-class  mechanic,  he  made  needles 
for  the  first  knitting  factory  started  in  America,  by  Egberts  &  Bailey. 
He  was  a  man  of  education  and  could  speak  several  languages  fluently. 
He  invented  a  system  of  stenography.  His  daughter,  Caroline  Augusta 
Smith  Mudge,  who  was  married  to  E.  G.  Mussey,  June  8,  1845,  was 
the  first  female  who  learned  to  knit  on  machines  run  by  water  power." 
—  Biographical  and  Historical  Account  of  the  name  of  MUDGE  in 
America. 

1844. 

June  29,  Levi  Silliman,  aged  59.  He  was  born  in  Fairfield,  Conn., 
in  the  year  1786.  His  ancestors  came  from  Holland  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  17th  century,  and  settled  in  Fairfield,  on  a  place  which  still 
bears  the  name  of  Holland  Hill.  About  the  year  1810  Levi  moved  to 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1816,  was  married  to  Clarissa  Clark.  He  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  was  associated  for  some  years  with  Jonathan 
Lyman,  then  a  prominent  builder  in  Albany.  Afterward  he  was  super 
intendent  of  the  Townsend  Furnace,  and  subsequently  one  of  the  firm 
of  Rathbone  &  Silliman,  in  the  furnace  in  Eagle  street.  In  the  year 
1835  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Jonas  Simmons,  Sen.,  and  under 
the  name  of  Simmons  &  Silliman,  they  built  and  operated  the  axe 
factory  so  long  and  widely  known  as  the  Simmons  axe  factory.  After 
remaining  in  this  connection  for  several  years  he  sold  out  his  interest 
and  purchased  a  veneer  mill  owned  by  Hawes  &  Baker.  Just  before  his 
death  he  sold  this  property.  He  died  June  29th,  1844,  leaving  him 
surviving,  his  widow  Clarissa,  and  son  Horace  B  (both  living  1876), 
four  other  children  having  previously  died.  Levi  Silliman  was  one 
whose  record  is  not  found  among  those  conspicuous  in  position  among 
their  fellow  men,  but  few  had  more  implicitly  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  entire  community  where  he  lived.  He  was  one  gifted  with  great 
mechanical  ability,  and  was  often  consulted  by  both  practical  and 
scientific  men,  and  his  opinions,  especially  when  experience  and  study 
had  been  added  to  his  natural  powers,  were  sought  and  valued  by  many 
whose  names  stand  high  in  the  history  of  mechanical  inventions 
and  skill.  In  all  subjects  affecting  the  community  where  he  lived, 
although  never  obtruding  himself  upon  the  public  notice,  his  wise 
counsel  and  discriminating  judgment  were  sought  and  he  never  hesi 
tated  either  to  speak  or  act  his  convictions.  He  was  an  active,  earnest, 
humble  Christian,  and  his  religion,  underlying  every  motive  and  action, 
made  him  what  he  was.  To  him  perhaps  more  than  any  other,  was 
due  the  organization  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  this  city,  and  the 
fostering  care  which  nurtured  it  in  its  infancy.  He  always  bore  it  on 
his  heart  and  aided  to  hold  it  up  by  constant  devotion  and  liberality, 
and  when  he  heard  the  summons,  "  The  Master  is  come  and  calleth 
for  thee,"  he  was  ready  to  meet  Him,  and  rest  from  his  labors.  *  * 


268  APPENDIX. 

1847. 

April  7,  Henry  Winans,  aged  58.  Mr.  Winans  was  the  father  of 
W.  H  S.  Winans,  editor  of  the  Cohoes  Advertiser. 

May  5,  Amos  Russell  Gay,  aged  37. 

1849. 

Jan.  4,  John  Jackson,  aged  78.  Mr.  J.  was  a  native  of  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  and  an  old  resident  of  Cohoes. 

April  8,  Thomas  Boley,  aged  44. 

April  19,  Reuben  P.  White,  son  of  Dea.  R.  White,  aged  34. 

June  18,  James  Harris,  aged  69. 

June  20,  Jacob  Vanderwerken,  aged  72.  Mr.  V.  was  born  in  Sara 
toga  Co.,  on  the  16th  day  of  December,  1777.  He  moved  to  Cohoea 
in  1823,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  He  was  well  known  as  a 
charitable,  public  spirited  citizen  and  was  identified  with  the  early 
history  of  the  place  and  many  of  its  improvements.  Few  residents  of 
the  village  had  a  larger  circle  of  acquaintances. 

Aug.  14,  William  Martin,  aged  41. 

Nov.  9,  James  Yale,  aged  88.  Mr.  Y  was  a  revolutionary  soldier 
and  also  served  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  left  a  widow  about  the  same 
age,  10  children  and  23  grand-children. 

1851. 

Mardi  10,  George  W.  Miller,  aged  42. 

March  15,  John  B.  Harrison,  aged  48.  Mr.  Harrison  was  for  many 
years  the  collector  of  the  village  taxes  and  was  much  respected  in  the 
community. 

April  9,  James  Dodge,  aged  63. 

Sept.  23,  Philip  Badgley,  aged  27. 

Nov.  27,  Joseph  A.  Worden,  aged  65. 

Dec.  30,  Samuel  Ketchel,  aged  42. 
1852. 

Feb.  3,  at  Caledonia  Springs,  county  of  Prescott,  Canada  West, 
David  Wilkinson,  aged  81.  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  born  in  Smithfield, 
R.  I.,  Jan.  5th,  1771.  He  was  the  third  son  of  Oziel  Wilkinson  who 
was  a  lineal  descendant  from  Lawrence  Wilkinson  who  came  from 
England  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1645.  Oziel 
Wilkinson  had  five  sons  :  Abraham,  Isaac,  David,  Daniel  and  Smith  ; 
all  of  whom  like  himself,  were  bred  to  the  blacksmith's  trade.  David 
Wilkinson,  with  his  father,  removed  to  Pawtucket  in  1783.  From 
his  earliest  boyhood  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  or 
supervision  of  machinery,  and  his  abilities  in  this  direction  enabled 
him  while  yet  a  young  man  to  take  a  prominent  position  among  the 
business  men  of  Pawtucket.  In  1789,  Samuel  Slater,  the  father  of  cot 
ton  manufacture  in  this  country,  came  over  from  England,  and  two 
years  later  married  Miss  Hannah  Wilkinson,  sister  of  David  Wilkinson, 
and  at  this  time  commenced  the  intimate  business  relations  between 
the  latter  and  Mr.  Slater  which  continued  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr. 
Wilkinson  then  devoted  his  attention  to  the  production  of  machinery 
for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  and  not  only  the  extensive  mills  in 
Rhode  Island,  but  most  of  those  throughout  the  country  were  fitted 
out  from  his  machine  shop  in  Pawtucket.  He  was  the  originator  of 
many  improvements  with  which  his  name  was  never  associated.  As 
he  said  himself,  "  I  was  always  too  much  engaged  in  various  business 


APPENDIX.  269 

to  look  after  and  make  profit  out  of  my  inventions  ;  other  people,  I  hope, 
have  gained  something  by  them." 

One  of  the  best  known  and  most  widely  used  of  Mr.  Wilkinson's 
inventions  was  the  sliding  lathe,  invented  in  1798,  for  which  he  re 
ceived  no  adequate  compensation  until  1848,  when  congress,  recog 
nizing  the  justice  of  his  claims  on  the  country,  voted  him  an  appropria 
tion  of  $10,000,  "  as  a  remuneration  to  him  for  the  benefit  accruing  to 
the  public  service  from  the  use  of  the  principle  of  the  guage  and  sliding 
lathe  of  which  he  was  the  inventor,"  —  (Report  of  Com.,  on  Military 
Affairs,  March  28, 1848) 

In  1829,  having  suffered  severe  reverses,  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  com 
pelled  to  give  up  his  business,  and  in  1831,  at  the  earnest  solicitation 
of  the  Cohoes  Company,  came  to  Cohoes.  His  part  in  the  early  history 
of  this  place  has  been  elsewhere  spoken  of.  To  show  the  estimation 
in  which  he  was  held  in  Rhode  Island,  the  following  may  be  quoted  : 
"  David  Wilkinson  became  a  machinist  of  great  skill  and  carried  on 
the  business  in  an  extensive  manner.  He  is  a  man  of  great  enterprise 
and  judgment,  and  his  failure  in  1829  was  very  much  regretted.  The 
capitalists  of  Rhode  Island  ought  not  to  have  allowed  David  Wilkinson 
to  leave  the  state.  But  he  is  now  planted  at  Cohoes  Falls,  and  that 
place  has  already  felt  the  benefit  of  his  business  talents,  and  his  ardent 
zeal  in  internal  improvement  " —  (History  of  Cotton  Manufacture, 
Philadelphia,  1836.) 

Mr.  Wilkinson  did  not  long  remain  in  active  business  in  Cohoes. 
He  had  much  to  call  him  away,  and  in  his  later  years,  was  here  only 
at  intervals.  The  following,  giving  an  account  of  some  of  the  enter- 

g rises  in  which  he  was  engaged,  is  from  a  letter  written  by  him  in 
ec.,  1846  :  "  The  prospects  at  Cohoes  were  flattering  for  a  time.  But 
nullification,  Loco-focory,  Jacksonism,  free  trade,  and  such  abomina 
tions,  killed  the  new  village  just  born.  Europeans  who  were  applying 
for  water  power  at  Cohoes  at  this  time  went  away,  saying,  now  we 
were  going  to  have  free  trade  ;  they  could  do  their  work  cheaper  '  at 
'  ome '  than  they  could  in  this  country  and  they  would  build  their 
factories  there.  WTe  were  compelled  now  to  get  our  living  where  we 
could,  to  go  abroad  if  we  could  not  get  work  at  home.  I  went  to  work 
on  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal,  in  New  Jersey  ;  then  on  the  St. 
Lawrence  improvements  in  Canada ;  then  to  Ohio  on  the  Sandy  and 
Beaver  Canal ;  then  to  the  new  wire  biidge  on  the  Ottawa  River,  at 
Bytown,  Canada,  and  Virginia.  Wherever  I  could  find  anything  to 
do,  I  went." 

He  was  born  and  bred  up  in  the  faith  of  the  Quakers,  and  always  had 
a  great  respect  for  them.  In  mid  life  he  connected  himself  with  the 
Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  was  ever  after  a  most  active  member. 
He  was  one  of  the  principal  founders  of  St.  Paul's  church,  in  Paw- 
tucket,  and  one  of  its  largest  supporters  for  years.  At  Wilkinsonville, 
Sutton,  Mass.,  where  he  afterwards  had  large  interests,  he  built  a 
church,  and  e-upported  a  minister  at  his  own  expense  ;  and  on  coming 
to  Cohoes,  his  first  achievement  was  the  establishment  of  St.  John's 
church,  of  which  he  and  Mr.  Howe  were  the  principal  founders.  He 
was  an  active  Mason,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  Union  Lodge,  Paw- 
tucket,  besides  being  chiefly  instrumental  in  the  establishment  of  the 
Cohoes  Lodge,  in  1846.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity  of  cha 
racter,  and  commanded  the  respect  and  affection  of  a  very  large  circle 


270  APPENDIX. 

of  friends.     His  remains  were  brought  to  Cohoes,  and  the  funeral  took 
place  from  St.  John's  church,  Feb.  llth. 

Feb.  6,  M.  C.  Kirnan,  aged  35. 

March  24,  Evart  A.  Lansing,  aged  62.  Mr.  Lansing  wasnn  old  resi 
dent  of  the  Boght —  one  of  a  family  of  six  children,  of  whom  two  sur 
vived  him.  In  his  death  the  community  lost  an  honest  and  conscien 
tious  citizen,  the  Dutch  church  of  Cohoes  a  judicious  counsellor  and 
an  active,  zealous  member. 

April  28,  Paul  Weidman,  aged  30. 

May  15,  James  Abel,  aged  54. 

July  2,  Franklin  Waring,  aged  38.  Mr.  W.  was  for  a  number  of 
years  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  the  place. 

Nov.  17,  E.  D.  Gill,  foreman  in  Miles  White's  axe  factory,  aged  45. 

Dec.  25,  Baltheus  Simmons,  aged  52. 
1853. 

Jan.  16,  Joshua  Bailey,  Sen.,  a  revolutionary  soldier  and  father  of 
Joshua  and  Timothy  Bailey,  aged  90.  Mr.  B.  was  born  in  East  Hamp 
ton,  Conn.,  in  1763,  removed  to  Meredith,  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.,in  1803, 
and  lived  in  a  log  cabin  seven  years,  enduring  the  hardships  and  pri 
vations  incident  to  the  life  of  a  pioneer.  He  removed  from  Meredith 
to  Cohoes,  in  1835,  where  he  continued  to  reside  with  his  sou  Joshua 
until  the  day  of  his  death. 

April  9,  Philip  Vosburgh,  aged  22. 

July  31st,  John  B.  Vanderwerken,  aged  43.  Mr.  V.  was  a  son  of 
Jacob  Vanderwerken  and  succeeded  to  the  business  so  many  years 
conducted  by  him  at  the  corner  of  Mohawk  and  Oneida  streets,  which 
he  retained  until  he  was  appointed  gate  keeper  of  the  Watervliet  turn 
pike  Co.,  between  West  Troy  and  Albany,  in  which  he  was  a  leading 
stockholder.  He  held  the  position  until  his  death. 

1854. 

July  26,  Dewitt  D.  Slocum,  aged  21. 

Sept.  27,  John  D.  Perry,  aged  72. 

Oct.  16,  James  Manton,  aged  about  28. 

Oct.  27,  Alexander  Ten  Eyck,  aged  32. 
1855. 

March  16,  William  Pundison  Mansfield,  aged  80.  Mr.  Mansfield 
was  born  at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  in  1775,  moved  with  his  father's  family 
to  Litchfield,  South  Farms,  and  was  educated  at  Morris  Academy. 
He  subsequently  went  into  mercantile  business  in  Kent,  Litchfield  Co., 
where  he  remained  until  about  1833,  when  he  came  to  Saratoga  Co., 
Northside.  He  married  in  Kent,  Sally,  daughter  of  Bradley  Mills, 
and  of  four  children  born  there,  Mrs.  Hugh  White  and  L.  W.  Mans 
field  are  the  only  survivors  —  the  other  children,  a  brother  and  sister, 
having  died  at  the  old  home  in  the  Housatonic  Valley  a  few  years  be 
fore  the  family  left  it  for  their  new  home  in  this  state,  and  here  also, 
the  mother  of  these  children  died  in  Feb.,  1842.  This  family,  in  both 
branches,  and  their  own  kindred  before  them,  as  far  back  as  is  known 
to  the  writer  of  this  sketch,  were  all  brought  up  in  the  faith  and 
practice  of  the  Congregational  church,  and  all  who  have  departed  this 
life  died  in  that  faith.  Mr.  M.  was  a  man  of  remarkable  firmness  of 
character  and  firmness  of  principle  and  of  most  unquestioned  integrity 
in  all  his  dealings,  both  with  others  and  with  himself.  * 


APPENDIX.  271 

April  12,  Asahel  Goffe,  father  of  Demas  and  Augustus  J.  Qoffe, 
aged  74. 

May  24,  William  H.  Vanderwerken,  aged  25. 

June  3,  In  Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York,  H.  N.  Pettis,  aged  44. 

July  22,  Samuel  Stiles,  aged  35. 

Sept.  11,  in  Picton,  Canada  West,  Charles  O'Brien,  of  Cohoes,  asred 
26. 

Sept.  20,  Milton,  son  of  Joshua  Bailey,  aged  28.  Mr.  B.  was  secre 
tary  of  the  Bailey  Manufacturing  Co. 

Oct.  14,  Christopher  White,  aged  43. 

Oct.  16,  Nathaniel  Selleck,  aged  68. 

Dec.  3d,  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Charles  H.,  son  of  Guy  Blakeley,  aged  24. 

1856. 

April  27,  Nicholas  W.  Smith,  aged  26. 

May  4,  Norton  T.  Raynsford,  aged  39. 

^  Aug.  15,  Wrm.  J.  Clements,  for  many  years  the  efficient  clerk  of  the 
Cohoes  Co.,  aged  about  35  years. 

Sept,  27,  in  Meriden,  Ct. ,  Elias  Howell,  only  son  of  Dea.  Maltby 
Howell,  aged  44. 

Nov.  28,  Patrick  Me  Entee,  merchant,  aged  about  60. 

1857. 

Jan.  28,  in  Albany,  Dr.  C.  F.  Goss,  formerly  a  resident  of  Cohoes, 
aged  41. 

Feb.  3d,  in  Richmond,  Va.,  William  Brooks,  printer,  formerly  of 
Cohoes,  aged  21. 

Feb  13,  Chas.  F.  Ferguson,  aged  28. 

Feb.  19,  at  the  Boght,"  Cornelius  V.  Fonda,  aged  17. 

March  10,  Liddell  Peverly,  foreman  of  the  Cohoes  Iron  Foundery, 
aged  37  years. 

March  23,  Jonathan  Hastings,  aged  35  years. 

June  8,  in  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  Benjamin  Hutchins,  formerly  a  resident  of 
Cohoes,  aged  32  years.  He  was  for  some  time  clerk  of  the  village,  and 
occupied  other  positions  of  trust. 

July  6,  Dr.  Henry  Adams  (father  of  Hon.  Chas.  H.  Adams),  aged 
70  years.  Dr.  Adams  was  born  in  Coxsackie,  N.  Y. ,  on  July  6,  1787, 
and  had  thus  just  completed,  on  the  day  of  his  death,  three  score  and 
ten.  He  made  profession  of  religion  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Livingston,  and  was  for  many  years  an  active  and  useful  member 
of  the  church  in  Coxsackie,  until  about  1849,  he  removed  to  Cohoes, 
where  he  connected  himself  with  the  Dutch  church.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  an  acting  elder;  an  office  which  for  many  years  he 
had  held  in  the  churches  of  his  earlier  and  later  affection.  In  his 
profession,  by  his  kind  and  sympathizing  manner,  he  gathered  around 
him  the  affection  and  confidence  of  those  to  whom  he  ministered,  and 
won  for  himself  the  title  of  the  "  beloved  physician."  He  was  buried 
in  the  family  burial  place  at  Coxsackie. 

Dec.  20,  Thomas  Brown,  aged  62. 
1858. 

March  8,  Douw  Vanden burgh,  aged  86. 

March  1,  Daniel  Nugent,  aged  47. 

March  20,  in  East  Paw  Paw,  De  Kalb  Co.,  111.,  John  Lansing,  father 
of  Deacons  Jacob  I.  and  Thomas  Lansing,  of  this  city. 


272  APPENDIX. 

June  20,  James  Barclay,  aged  36. 

Aug.  19,  in  Dubuque,  Iowa,  E.  H.  Johnston,  aged  39.  Mr.  J.  was  for 
some  time  principal  of  the  Depot  school  in  the  2d  ward,  but  resigned 
about  1851.  The  Galena  Daily  Courier  in  noticing  his  death  said : 
"  In  the  death  of  Mr.  Johnston,  our  city  has  lost  a  most  valuable  citizen 
and  an  estimable  man.  He  came  to  Galena  in  October,  1855,  and  as 
sumed  charge  of  the  Institute,  which  he  conducted  successfully  up  to 
the  present  time.  Possessed  of  considerable  experience  as  a  teacher, 
great  energy,  and  devoted  to  his  calling,  under  his  auspices  the  Insti 
tute  became  at  once  flourishing.  Mr.  Johnston  was  a  native  of  Sydney, 
Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y." 

Sept.  20,  Garret  R,  Lansing,  aged  45. 

Nov.  2,  in  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  Henry,  son  of  Paschal  Brooks,  M.D., 
aged  25.  For  several  years  Mr.  Brooks,  with  his  brother  Thomas,  was 
engaged  in  the  drug  business. 

Nov.  30,  at  Toboga,  in  the  bay  of  Panama,  Henry  E.  La  Salle,  first 
telegraphic  operator  in  Cohoes. 

Dec.  3,  John  Eastwood,  aged  43.  Mr.  E.  was  a  prominent  fireman 
and  an  influential  member  of  the  masonic  fraternity. 

Dec.  6,  William  Dickey,  aged  52.  Mr.  D.  was  well  known  as  aeon- 
tractor  and  prominent  citizen  of  the  3d  ward. 

Dec.  14,  By  accident  at  D.  Simmons  &  Go's  axe  factory,  Thomas 
Golden,  aged  45. 

Dec.  31,  Robert  Leckie,  father  of  William  Leckie,  Esq.,  aged  68. 
Mr.  L,  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Cohoes. 

1859. 

Jan.  28,  in  Charleston,  S.  C.,  David  Warren  Leland,  aged  64. 

March  11,  Henry  L.  Landon,  M.D.,  aged  about  35.  Dr.  L.  had  been 
for  many  years  a  resident  of  the  place  and  as  a  citizen  had  been  closely 
identified  with  every  enterprise  that  had  for  its  object  the  welfare 
and  prosperity  of  the  village.  For  a  long  time  he  had  been  president 
of  the  village,  and  had  held  other  important  offices  of  trust.  As  a 
public  official  he  discharged  his  duties  faithfully  and  conscientiously. 
From  the  Cataract  of  March  19,  1859,  is  taken  the  following  notice 
of  his  funeral :  "  The  funeral  of  Dr  Henry  L.  Landon,  which  took  place 
in  this  village  on  Sunday  afternoon  last,  was  one  of  the  largest  gather 
ings  of  the  kind  ever  witnessed  in  the  village.  Besides  our  citizens, 
who  attended  en  masse,  there  were  large  numbers  of  the  friends  and 
acquaintances  of  Dr.  L.  from  abroad,  together  with  delegations  of  the 
masonic  fraternity  from  Watertbrd,  Lansingburg,  Troy  and  Albany. 
An  eloquent  and  impressive  discourse  was  delivered  by  Rev.  C.  N. 
Waldron,  from  Isaiah  38 :  10 :  'I  am  deprived  of  the  residue  of  my 
years.'  After  the  services  at  the  church,  the  body  was  taken  to  the 
Waterford  cemetery,  where  the  masonic  rites  were  conducted  by  Past 
Master  Geer,  of  King  Solomon's  Lodge,  assisted  by  Worshipful  Master 
Ball,  of  Mount  Zion's  Lodge,  Troy." 

March  17,  Jacob  Upham,  aged  53.  Mr.  U.  had  been  for  several 
years  an  overseer  in  the  Ogden  Mills. 

May  3,  James  Groves,  aged  28 

Sept.  11,  Henry  Lyons,  aged  40. 

Sept.  22,  John  Downs,  aged  41. 

Nov.  19,  Matthew  Fitzpatrick.  aged  53.  He  was  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  enterprising  residents  of  the  3d  ward,  and  took  a  leading 
part  in  local  affairs. 


APPENDIX.  273 

Dec.  4,  Owen  Sweeney,  aged  36. 

Dec.  6,  Isaac  Fonda,  aged  80. 

1860. 

Feb.  12,  Stephen  P.  Van  Woert,  aged  40. 

August  27,  William  Penfold,  aged  57. 

Oct.  22,  Nathaniel  Wilder,  aged  71. 

Nov.  1,  Jonathan  Wightman,  aged  69.  Mr.  Wightman,  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Wightman  and  Youmans,  was  for  some  years 
prominently  connected  with  the  manufacturing  interests  of  Cohoes,  and 
was  universally  respected. 

Nov.  6,  James  Maitland,  aged  about  60. 

Nov.  10,  Octavius  Cole,  aged  50. 

Nov.  14,  Aaron  L.  Ferguson,  aged  69.  Mr.  F.,  was  for  many  years 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Cohoes,  as  a  contractor  and 
builder. 

Nov.  20,  Jeremiah  Houlihan,  aged  68. 

Dec.  29,  Daniel  Simmons,  aged  58.  Mr.  Simmons  was  one  of  the 
first  to  engage  in  business  in  Cohoes,  and  to  his  industry  and  enter 
prise  the  place  is  largely  indebted  for  its  reputation  as  a  manufacturing 
town.  Beginning  in  a  small  way  the  manufacture  of  axes  and  edge 
tools  in  1835,  he,  in  a  few  years,  succeeded  in  building  up  an  establish 
ment  which  was  one  of  the  most  important  of  its  kind  in  the  country, 
and  in  gaining  a  widespread  reputation  for  energy  and  ability.  The 
main  facts  in  regard  to  the  connection  of  Mr.  S.  with  the  business 
history  of  Cohoes,  have  been  elsewhere  mentioned. 

1861. 

Jan.  1st,  John  R.  Bullock,  aged  54.  Mr.  B.  was  for  many  years  a 
resident  of  the  village  and  was  frequently  selected  by  his  fellow  citizens 
to  represent  them  in  official  positions. 

Jan.  21,  Christopher  C.  Stow,  aged  26. 

March  12,  Origen  Orcutt,  aged  64. 

April  20,  William  H.  Mead,  aged  31. 

June  13,  John  Vandercook,  aged  30. 

July  3d,  Jenks  Brown,  aged  50.  Mr.  B.  was  for  several  years  agent 
of  the  Ogden  Mills,  and  in  1859  was  president  of  the  village.  He  died 
in  Indian  Orchard,  Mass. 

July  — ,  Jesse  D.  Van  Hagen,  aged  22.  Mr.  V.  H.  was  a  member  of 
Co.  K,  34th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  Va. 

Nov.  14,  John  Mclntosh,  aged  57. 
1862. 

Jan.  22,  A.  C.  Byrant,  aged  46.  Mr.  B.  was  a  foreman  in  D.  Sim 
mons  &  Co's  axe  factory  and  was  widely  known  and  respected. 

Feb.  12,  William  Orelup,  Sen.,  aged  69.  Mr.  O.  had  been  identified 
with  the  interests  of  Cohoes  since  its  settlement  and  was  known  as  an 
enterprising  citizen  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  M .  E.  church. 

Feb.  27,  George  M.  Howes,  aged  about  32.  Mr.  H.  was  for  a  long 
time  the  only  news  dealer  in  the  place. 

March  10th,  Dr.  J.  H.  Tripp,  aged  45. 

April  — , in  West  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Supply  F.  Wilson,  for  several  years  a 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Cohoes  and  a  leading  politician  of  the  town. 

May  31,  James  Galbraith,  killed  in  battle  at  Seven  Pines,  near 
Richmond. 

35 


274  APPENDIX. 

Aug.  30,  Leonard  G.  Fletcher,  aged  about  22.  This  young  man  was 
a  member  of  Capt.  J.  L.  Yates'  Co.,  22d  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols.  He  was  en 
gaged  in  the  battle  before  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  and  from  the  fact  that  no 
tidings  were  subsequently  heard  of  his  fate,  it  is  probable  that  he  there 
lost  his  life. 

Sept.  4,  William  Osterhout,  aged  44.  He  was  a  foreman  in  D.  Sim 
mons  &  Co's  axe  factory,  a  skillful  mechanic  and  a  well  known  citizen. 

Sept.  — ,  James  Young,  a  private  in  Capt.  Win.  Shannon's  company, 
113th  Reg't,  died  in  the  hospital  at  Georgetown,  D.  C. 

Sept.  17,  William  Orelup,  Jr.,  aged  about  45  years.  Mr.  0.  was  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Education  and  a  director  in  the  Bank  of  Cohoes 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  During  a  long  residence  in  Cohoes  he  held 
many  public  positions  and  was  much  respected  as  a  citizen. 

Sept.  — ,  in  England,  Dr.  Blake,  for  a  few  years  medical  practitioner 
in  Cohoes. 

Sept.  19,  in  Newark,  Licking  Co.,  Ohio,  Col.  George  I.  Abbott,  aged 
about  50.  Col.  Abbott  was  one  of  the  earliest  citizens  of  Cohoes  and 
a  charter  member  of  Cohoes  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  lis  remembered 
as  a  gentleman  of  quiet,  unobtrusive  manners  and  possessed  of  those 
genial  qualities  which  render  a  man  a  true  friend  and  good  citizen. 

Sept.  22,  in  hospital,  at  Washington,  D.  C. ,  William  Long  of 
bilious  fever.  Mr.  Long  was  a  member  of  Capt.  Wm.  Shannon's  com 
pany,  113th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Sept.  29,  in  hospital  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  Lieut.  Hiram  Clute,  of 
Co.  A,  22d  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols.  Lt.  Clute  was  wounded  in  the  foot  at 
one  of  the  battles  before  Manassas.  He  lay  five  days  upon  the  battle 
field  and  his  limb  was  not  operated  upon  until  he  had  been  in  the 
hospital  two  days  more.  An  obituary  in  the  Cataract  said  :  "  Thus 
ends  the  career  of  as  brave  a  soldier  and  as  true  a  man  as  ever  met 
death  upon  the  battle  field.  He  was  idolized  by  his  company  and  re 
spected  by  the  regiment  to  which  he  belonged,  as  well  as  in  the  com 
munity  in  which  he  has  long  resided.  He  leaves  a  wife  and  two 
children  to  mourn  his  loss." 

Oct.  17,  Peter  M.  Smith,  aged  23.  Mr.  S.  was  acting  village  libra 
rian  in  1861. 

Nov.  16,  Dea.  Maltby  Howell,  aged  77. 

Nov.  28,  William  B.  Hitchcock,  aged  77. 
1863. 

Jan.  5,  William  Padley,  aged  51. 

Feb.  27,  John  J.  Swartz,  aged  58. 

Feb.  27,  Samuel  Maitland,  aged  25. 

March  31,  Michael  Farrelly,  aged  79. 

May  8,  George  E.  Van  Vliet,  aged  24.  Mr.  V.  V.  was  a  member  of 
Co.  H,  177th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols.  "  He  was  a  young  man  of  great  pro 
mise.  He  had  finished  his  course  of  study  at  Burr  Seminary,  Man 
chester,  and  was  about  to  enter  Hamilton  College,  to  prepare  for  the 
ministry,  when  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  enlist  in  the  service  of  his 
country." 

July  1,  Lemuel  Scott,  aged  40. 

June  18,  killed,  at  the  siege  of  Port  Hudson,  John  Me  Gaffin,  in  the 
20th  year  of  his  age.  The  following  concerning  Mr.  McG.  appeared 
in  the  Cataract :  "  There  are  very  few  of  those  who  have  left  our  vil 
lage  for  the  scene  of  conflict,  who  were  so  well  known  and  esteemed  as 
the  subject  of  this  notice.  He  was  a  youth  of  great  promise.  His 


APPENDIX.  275 

mind  was  naturally  of  a  studious,  inquiring  disposition,  which  was 
strengthened  by  intellectual  training,  and  adorned  by  the  graces  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  In  the  15th  year  of  his  age  he  made  profession  of 
his  faith  in  Christ,  uniting  with  the  Reformed  Dutch  church  in  this 
village,  and  was  soon  after  led  to  commence  his  preparation  for  preach 
ing  the  Gospel.  He  was  a  member*  of  the  junior  class  in  Rutgers' 
College,  when  at  the  call  of  his  country,  he  bid  farewell  for  a  season 
to  the  endearments  of  his  home  and  the  attractions  of  his  studies,  and 
enlisted  for  nine  months  as  a  private  in  the  177th  Reg't,  of  this  state. 
He  stood  up  manfully  in  the  place  of  honor  and  peril ;  in  the  forepart 
of  the  battle  he  met  with  a  soldier's  death,  and  has  found  in  a  far  dis 
tant  state,  a  soldier's  grave.  His  death  has  made  another  vacant  place 
in  the  home  he  loved  so  well, and  has  filled  with  sadness  the  hearts  of 
a  large  circle  of  friends  he  had  gathered  around  him  in  this  community." 

June  16,  Robert  Taylor,  age  unknown.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
175th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  was  wounded  in  the  engagement  before 
Port  Hudson,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  in  hospital  at  Baton 
Rouge.  He  was  a  brother  of  John  Taylor  of  this  place. 

July  2,  killed,  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  Lieut.  Thomas 
Walters,  of  the  97th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols. 

July  2,  William  H.  Cranston,  aged  26.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
Co.  A,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols. ,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Pa. 

July  2,  Edward  Greason,  aged  31.  He  was  born  at  Hyde,  Cheshire, 
England,  and  enlisted  from  Cohoes  in  Co.  A,  76th  N.  Y.  Vols.  He  was 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  after  which  he  was  missing. 
It  is  supposed  he  died  on  the  field  and  was  buried  by  the  enemy. 

July  2,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  John  Wood,  John 
Brierly,  Louis  Toronto,  Hugh  Loughry,  Wesley  Brodt  and  Wesley 
Tompkins,  ages  unknown.  These  young  men  were  all  members  of 
the  76th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols. 

July  16,  James  Durham,  aged  30,  a  member  of  the  3d  Reg't  N.  Y. 
Vols. 

July  22,  John  N.  Meads,  aged  65. 

July  26,  Daniel  Ball,  aged  80. 

July  22,  in  Nantasket,  Mass.,  William  W.  Kendrick,  ^formerly  of 
Cohoes,  aged  43.  Mr.  K.  was  a  brother-in-law  of  Col.  Isaac  Quack- 
en  bush. 

Aug.  4,  from  wounds  received  in  the  battle  at  Gettysburg,  Pa. 
Philip  Keeler,  of  the  50th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols. 

August — ,  from  malaria  in  the  swamps  of  Bonnet  Carre,  La.,  Robt 
W.  Frisby  and  John  Flynn,  members  of  the  10th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols, 
Ages  unknown. 

Sept.  3,  Jacob  A.  Taylor,  aged  18.  He  was  a  member  of  Co.  H,  177th 
Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols. ,  and  served  his  country  faithfully.  He  accompanied 
his  regiment  on  its  way  home  until  he  reached  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  was  taken  sick  and  died. 

Sept.  — ,  in  Mount  Pleasant  Hospital,  near  Port  Hudson,  William  H. 
Vandenbergh,  aged  23.  Mr.  V.  was  the  only  son  of  Jacob  L.  Vanden- 
bergh,  of  the  Boght.  He  enlisted  in  the  177th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols.  A 
correspondent  said  of  him  :  "  In  his  manner  he  was  unobtrusive,  in  his 
demeanor  amiable  and  gentle,  and  possessed,  in  an  eminent  degree, 
those  characteristics  calculated  to  inspire  the  love  of  those  who  knew 
him." 


276  APPENDIX. 

Sept.  28,  Abram  Lawrence,  aged  21.  Mr.  L.  was  a  son  of  Geo. 
Lawrence,  of  this  city,  and  was  for  many  years  deputy  postmaster. 

Oct.  21,  Allen  Bordwell,  aged  about  45 

Oct.  29,  Patrick  Malany,  aged  23. 

Nov.  17,  William  Williams,  machinist. 

Nov.  23,  in  Troy,  Dennis  Stow,  for  many  years  a  prominent  inventor 
and  resident  of  Cohoes,  aged  63. 

Nov.  21,  Isaac  F.  Fletcher,  aged  65.  Mr.  F.  was  one  oi  the  earliest 
residents  of  the  place,  a  prominent  member  of  Cohoes  Lodge,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  a  conscientious,  upright  citizen. 

Dec.  — ,  James  Harvey,  a  member  of  the  128th  N.  Y.  Vols.  He  had 
served  faithfully  and  honorably  in  most  of  the  battles  of  the  war,  and 
in  consequence  of  failing  health  was  on  his  return  home,  where  he 
hoped  to  give  his  mother  and  friends  a  pleasant  surprise.  He  lived  to 
enter  the  harbor  of  New  York,  where  in  sight  of  his  native  state,  and 
within  a  few  miles  of  his  friends  and  home,  he  yielded  up  his  life. 

Dec.  16,  Sherman  D.  Fairbank,  aged  50.  Mr.  F.  had  been  for  many 
years  a  prominent  business  man,  universally  respected  for  his  in 
tegrity  and  excellent  traits  as  a  citizen.  He  held  several  prominent 
positions  of  responsibility  in  the  village,  was  a  leading  member  of  Co- 
hoes  Lodge  F.  &  A.  M.  and  a  director  of  the  Bank  of  Cohoes. 

Dec.  18,  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  Chauncey  Stow,  one  of  the  original 
founders  of  the  Cataract,  aged  about  35. 

1864. 

Feb.  17,  Capt.  William  Holley,  aged  54. 

Feb.  20,  James  R.  Wilson,  aged  18.  Mr.  W.  enlisted  from  Cohoes 
as  a  private  in  Co.  H,  115th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols. ,  and  was  killed  by  a  shell 
from  a  rebel  battery  in  the  battle  at  Olustee,  Fla.  Lt.  Clark  wrote  of 
him  as  follows  :  "  The  brave  young  soldier  fired  his  own  sixty  rounds 
of  ammunition  and  then  sought  a  fresh  supply  from  a  dead  companion's 
cartridge  box.  He  loaded  for  the  sixty-first  time  and  was  about  firing 
when  the  shell  exploded  that  cost  him  his  life." 

Feb.  20,  Oscar  L.  Ackley,  age  unknown.  Mr.  A.  was  a  member  of 
the  115th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols.  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Olustee, 
Fla. 

March  10,  Edward  O'Reilly,  aged  48.  He  was  an  upright  citizen 
and  conscientious  business  man  and  was  frequently  called  upon  to 
represent  his  ward  in  public  positions. 

March  11,  in  Halfmoon,  N.  Y.,  John  Oliver,  aged  52. 

March  23,  Edward  H.  Owen,  aged  49. 

March  31,  Charles  Green,  soldier,  aged  about  23. 

March  26,  Willie  H.  Howard,  aired  21. 

April  27,  L.  Sprague  Parsons,  aged  55.  "  Mr.  Parsons  commenced 
his  preparatory  studies  in  Haniden,  Ct.,  which  were  afterwards  com 
pleted  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  He  entered  Yale  College  in  the  class  of  1835, 
but  did  not  graduate  until  1837,  having  devoted  one  year  to  teaching 
in  Bristol,  Ct.  After  graduation  he  taught  for  a  short  time  in  Norfolk 
Co.,  Va.,  but  was  obliged  to  return  home  on  account  of  ill  health. 
After  teaching  another  year  in  Bristol,  Ct.,  he  moved  to  Albany,  N.  Y., 
in  1839,  where  with  his  sister  he  established  a  select  family  school. 
He  was  also  at  the  same  time  principal  of  the  Pearl  street  Academy 
for  boys,  in  the  same  ci:y.  In  1845,  he  was  chosen  principal  of  the 
Albany  Female  Academy,  the  duties  of  which  he  discharged  with  suc 
cess  until  1855,  when  he  resigned  his  office.  In  the  same  year  he 


APPENDIX.  277 

engaged  in  manufacturing  in  Colioes,  where  he  remained  until  his 
death." 

April  22,  in  Fort  Warren,  Boston  Harbor,  James  McCarthy  and 
Matthew  Riley,  of  Cohoes,  N.  Y.  Both  were  young  men. 

April  18,  Herbert  Hastings,  aged  about  30.  Mr.  Hastings  was  a 
member  of  the  7th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery  and  died  very  suddenly  in 
camp  from  heart  disease.  He  had  been  a  resident  of  Cohoes  from  his 
boyhood  and  for  many  years  previous  to  his  enlistment  was  the  lead 
ing  dentist  of  the  place.  Of  a  genial,  generous  disposition,  he  had 
troops  of  friends  who  sincerely  mourned  his  early  death. 

May  5,  George  Diehl,  age  unknown,  a  member  of  the  77th  N.  Y. 
Vols.,  was  killed  in  one  of  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness. 

May  10,  killed  while  on  picket  duty,  John  McCarthy,  aged  17. 
May  25,  William  Noonan,  aged  40. 

June  2,  Simon  O'Dea  and  Thomas  Eastham,  members  of  Battery  I, 
7th  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery,  both  brave  and  faithful  soldiers,  were  killed 
in  one  of  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  ages  unknown. 

June,  —  James  Cole,  who  faithfully  served  in  all  the  principal  battles 
of  the  war,  on  the  peninsula,  at  Gettysburg  and  the  Wilderness,  fVll 
in  one  of  the  later  engagements.  Age  unknown. 

June  10,  Josepti  Wickham,  aged  39.  Mr.  Wickham  was  a  member 
of  the  118th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder  at 
Bermuda  Hundreds,  May  16,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died. 

June  19,  Henry  0.  Osterhout,  aged  17.  Enlisted  as  a  private  in  Co. 
H,  177th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  was  with  the  army  at  the  siege  of 
Port  Hudson.  He  returned  home  with  his  regiment  in  September, 
1863,  and  died  from  sickness  contracted  in  the  service. 

July  9,  Daniel  D.  Tuthill,  aged  47.  Enlisted  as  a  private  in  Co.  I,  7th 
Reg't  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was  afterward  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
sergeant.  He  was  woiinded  in  the  engagement  at  North  Anna  Bridge, 
Va.,  on  May  30th,  1864,  and  died  in  the  hospital  at  Washington.  Mr. 
T.,  was  the  father-in-law  of  Capt.  William  Shannon,  now  ofPittsburg, 
Pa.,  and  A.  H.  Frink,  of  this  city. 

July  — ,  Charles  Westover,  aged  20,  a  member  of  the  4th  Reg't  N.  Y. 
Heavy  Artillery,  died  in  hospital  at  Staten  Island. 

July  12,  George  Shipley,  aged  43.  Mr.  S.  was  a  member  of  Co.  I, 
7th  Heavy  Artillery,  and  died  on  board  the  U.  S.  transport  Atlantic, 
from  disease  contracted  while  in  the  service.  His  remains  were  interred 
in  Cypress  Hill  cemetery,  L.  I. ,  July  14. 

July  22,  Sergeant  Major  E.  Raymond  Fonda,  aged  27.  Was  a  mem 
ber  of  the  115th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols.  He  was  severely  wounded  May  7th, 
in  one  of  the  battles  near  Petersburg,  Va.,  from  the  effects  of  whkh 
he  died  in  the  Lady's  Home  Hospital,  New  York. 

July  29,  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  John  Kerr,  aged  62.  Mr.  Kerr  was  for 
several  years  previous  to  his  death  prominently  connected  with  manu 
facturing  interests  in  Cohoes. 

Aug.  1,  William  G.  Caw,  aged  48.  Mr.  Caw  came  to  Cohoes  in 
1846,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Isaac  Quackenbush,  with  whom 
he  continued  in  the  grocery  business  until  his  death.  He  was  a  town 
supervisor  from  1858  to  1861,  trustee  of  the  village,  water  commissioner, 
director  of  the  Bank  of  Cohoes,  and  filled  other  public  positions  of  re 
sponsibility,  in  all  of  which  the  people  were  faithfully  served.  In  his 
business  relations  he  was  honorable  and  conscientious,  and  as  a  citizen 
he  was  enterprising  and  public  spirited.  A  friend  wrote  of  his  death 


278  APPENDIX. 

as  follows  :  "  The  death  of  William  G.  Caw  makes  a  great  gap  in  our 
community.  Let  it  be  filled  by  the  renewed  devotion  of  others  to 
those  interests  to  which  he  gave  so  freely  of  his  time  and  his  attention, 
and  if  the  cry  of  the  poor  and  the  needy,  the  fatherless  and  the  widow, 
the  demands  of  our  country  and  its  brave  defenders,  the  church  of 
Christ,  and  its  overshadowing  claims  can  reach  the  hearts  more  for 
cibly  through  the  remembrance  of  his  character  as  a  business  man,  a 
citizen,  a  politician,  a  patriot,  a  philanthropist  and  a  Christian,  then 
indeed,  will  he,  being  dead,  yet  speak  to  us  ;  and  of  the  recollections 
that  cluster  around  his  name,  it  m^y  be  truly  said,  "  the  memory  of 
the  just  is  precious." 

July  18,  Nathan  Stone,  aged  76.  Mr.  Stone  was  one  of  the  earliest 
residents  of  the  place. 

Aug.  17,  Alfred  Phelps,  aged  about  70.  Mr.  Phelps  was  for  many 
years  the  proprietor  of  the  "old  junction"  tavern,  and  had  served  the 
people  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  village  trustee. 

Aug.  11,  Peter  Forbes,  aged  44.  Mr.  Forbes  was  for  a  long  time 
foreman  in  Fuller  and  Safely's  iron  found ery. 

Aug.  16,  Abbott  C.  Musgrove,  aged  19.  Mr.  Musgrove  was  a  mem 
ber  of  the  115th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  by  his  bravery,  correct  deport 
ment  and  sterling  integrity  won  the  esteem  of  his  comrades  and  left 
a  record  that  proved  him  a  patriot  and  heroic  soldier.  He  was  killed 
in  the  battle  at  Deep  Bottom,  Va. 

Aug.  16,  James  K.  Himes,  aged  18.  He  was  a  member  of  the  115th 
Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  fell  in  the  battle  at  Deep  Bottom,  Va.,  whil« 
bearing  the  colors  of  the  regiment.  He  was  distinguished  for  his 
heroic  conduct  in  times  of  greatest  peril,  and  was  beloved  by  all  who 
knew  him. 

Sept.  18,  Thomas  Gooch,  son-in-law  of  John  Land,  died  in  St.  John's 
Hospital,  Annapolis,  Md.,  from  the  effects  of  wounds  received  in  the 
battle  at  Ream's  Station.  He  was  a  member  of  the  7th  Reg't,  N.  Y. 
Heavy  Artillery. 

Oct.  2,  Edward  Bullock,  aged  21. 

Oct.  6,  Stephen  Slocum,  aged  about  60.  Mr.  S.  was  for  many  years 
deacon  in  the  Baptist  society  of  the  village,  and  acted  as  the  first  super 
intendent  of  the  Harmony  Union  Sunday  school. 

Oct.  12,  Adam  Turner,  aged  41,  was  born  in  Castlereagh,  Ireland, 
March  12,  1823.  He  removed  to  this  country  in  1850.  He  enlisted 
from  Cohoes  as  a  private  in  Co.  I,  4th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery, 
and  died  from  disease  contracted  by  exposure  and  fatigue  with  the 
army  before  Richmond. 

Oct.  — ,  in  Andersonville  prison,  John  Greer  and  John  Ebah. 

Oct.  21,  John  Trull,  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  1812  and  father  of  Stevens 
V.  and  Samuel  D.  Trull  of  this  city,  aged  71. 

Nov.  6,  James  K.  Stevens,  aged  20.  Pie  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  4th  Reg't, 
N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  died  in  the  hospital  at  Annapolis,  Md., 
from  sickness  contracted  in  Richmond  prison.  He  was  a  son  of  John 
Stevens  of  this  city. 

Nov.  10,  Charles  T.  Cannon,  son  of  Tracy  Cannon,  aged  33. 

Nov.  28,  in  McClellan  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  Pa,,  Robert  Gormley, 
a  member  of  the  7th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Heavy  Artillery. 

Nov.  26,  in  rebel  prisons,  John  Welch  and  J.  Mangham.  Particulars 
unknown. 


APPENDIX.  279 

1865. 

Feb.  3,  Lt.  John  C.  Carroll,  aged  23.  Lt.  C.  belonged  to  Co.  M, 
6th  N.  Y.  Cavalry,  and  was  killed  near  Lovellville,  Va. 

March  28,  John  Vandermark,  aged  55.  Mr.  V.  was  one  of  the  most 
widely  known  citizens  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  oldest  families  in 
the  town.  He  had  occupied  various  public  positions,  was  for  a  time 
engaged  in  manufacturing,  and  immediately  preceding  his  death  was 
proprietor  of  the  Rock  Hotel,  on  the  corner  of  Mohawk  and  Howard 
streets. 

May  7,  at  Chicago,  111.,  Patrick  O'Brien,  son  of  Lawrence  O'Brien, 
aged  29. 

July  6,  Nicholas  D.  Lounsbury,  aged  57.  Mr.  L.  was  a  member  of 
the  30th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols. 

Sept.  17,  Wm.  B.  Jackson,  a  member  of  the  91st  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols., 
aged  about  45. 

Oct.  7,  C.  F.  Ingraham,  aged  about  42.  Mr.  Ingraham  was  for  many 
years  principal  of  the  Depot  school  and  superintendent  of  the  Baptist 
Sunday  school. 

Oct.  21,  Levinus  S.  Lansing,  aged  85.  Mr.  L.  was  one  of  the  oldest 
representatives  of  the  Lansing  family,  and  resided  most  of  his  life  in 
the  old  homestead  between  this  place  and  West  Troy. 

Dec.  15,  Patrick  Neary,  aged  26. 

Dec.  21,  Abram  D.  Clute,  aged  41. 
1866. 

Jan.  14,  John  Rafferty,  age  unknown.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
91st  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  his  death  was  occasioned  by  disease  con 
tracted  while  in  the  service. 

March  1 ,  John  Hay,  aged  76.  Mr.  H,  was  a  native  of  Scotland  and 
emigrated  to  Cohoes  in  1836,  remaining  a  resident  until  his  death. 
He  left  a  family  of  ten  children,  fifty  grand-children  and  three  great 
grand  children/  John,  James,  Charles  and  Alex.  Hay  of  this  place  are 
his  sons. 

March  31,  Peter  Manton.  At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Man  ton  was 
deputy  sheriff  and  chief  engineer  of  the  fire  department. 

April  19,  in  Albany,  A.  E.  Stimson,  aged  57.  Mr.  Stimson  occupied 
for  some  years  a  prominent  position  among  Cohoes  manufacturers,  hav 
ing  organized  the  Clifton  Co.,  in  which  he  held  the  controlling  interest. 

May  2,  James  R.  Dickey,  aged  22.  Mr.  Dickey  was  a  printer  who 
served  his  apprenticeship  in  the  office  of  the  Cataract. 

May  10,  L.  G.  Forrester,  for  several  years  book-keeper  at  the  Har 
mony  Mills,  aged  about  45. 

May  14,  George  Shires,  proprietor  of  the  Miller  House,  aged  46. 

May  14,  James  Homer,  aged  42. 

May  28,  Edward  Packard,  aged  38. 

June  1st,  Lt.  Francis  Keating,  aged  32.  Lt.  K.  was  one  of  the  first 
volunteers  from  Cohoes  and  served  his  country  faithfully  and  honorably. 

Aug.  22,  Wm.  F.  Carter,  M.D.,  aged  54.  Dr.  Carter  was  born  in 
Newburyport,  Mass.,  and  was  educated  at  the  old  academy  of  that 
place.  Owing  to  his  father's  reverses  of  fortune  by  losses  at  sea, 
during  the  war  of  1815,  and  afterwards,  his  education  was  not  con 
tinued  as  it  would  otherwise  have  been,  and  at  14  years  of  age  he  was 
apprenticed  in  the  drug  store  of  Dr.  David  Kimball,  of  Portsmouth, 
N.  H.,  where  he  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  that  business.  He 


280  APPENDIX. 

then  became  acquainted  with  Dr.  Timothy  Upham,  who  was  about 
removing  to  Waterford,  N.  Y.,  and  who  being  interested  in  the  smart, 
quick-witted  boy,  invited  him  to  study  medicine  with  him.  The  invi 
tation  was  accepted  but  not  until  after  the  young  man  had  spent  some 
months  in  the  study  of  Latin.  He  remained  with  Dr.  Upham  one  year 
and  afterward  attended  medical  lectures  in  Boston,  going  from  there 
to  Dartmouth  College  where  he  finished  his  course  and  received  his 
diploma  in  1834.  He  commenced  practice  at  Hagaman's  Mills,  Mont 
gomery  Co.,  but  not  receiving  sufficient  encouragement  there,  he  re 
moved  to  Cohoes,  in  1835,  where  he  remained  in  practice  of  his 
profession  until  his  death.  He  was  eccentric  in  manner,  and  brusque 
in  address  but  possessed  a  most  tender  and  sympathetic  disposition 
which  was  manifested  in  kindly  and  charitable  acts  toward  those  who 
were  worthy.  He  was  a  director  in  the  Bank  of  Cohoes,  and  trustee 
of  the  Havings  Institution  and  had  represented  his  fellow  citizens  in 
local  affairs  on  many  occasions. 

Dec.  9,  John  Eastwood,  Jr.,  aged  22.  Mr.  B.  was  a  member  of  the 
22d  Reg't  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  served  his  country  honorably  during  the 
war.  He  was  wounded  in  one  of  the  battles  of  Virginia  and  while  in 
the  service  contracted  the  disease  from  which  he  died. 

Dec.  21,  Alexander  Bell,  aged  89. 

1867. 

Jan.  2,  William  Buchanan,  aged  44. 

Jan.  28,  Michael  H.  Johnson,  aged  28.  Mr.  Johnson  enlisted  in  the 
U.  S.  Navy  about  I860,  and  served  on  board  the  flag  ship  Sabine.  On 
an  expedition  to  Paraguay  he  was  sunstruck,  from  the  effects  of  which 
he  never  recovered. 

Feb.  25,  John  Partridge,  aged  48,  well  known  as  the  proprietor  for 
many  years  of  the  Cataract  House. 

Feb.  27,  Edward  Ayres,  aged  40. 

July  7th,  in  Montreal,  Ca.,  Gideon  Longley,  aged  54.  Mr.  Longley 
was  born  in  Tenterden,  Kent,  England,  Dec.  21st,  1813,  and  came  to 
this  country  in  the  spring  of  1826,  locating  in  Watervliet.  He  was 
one  of  the  earliest  members  of  the  M.  E.  church  of  Cohoes. 

Sept.  21,  Abraham  L.  Smith,  a  young  merchant  of  the  place,  aged  30. 

Sept.  30,  Philip  L.  Clow,  aged  51. 

Oct.  16,  in  New  York,  Thomas  Garner,  aged  62.  Mr.  G.  was  the 
principal  owner  of  the  Harmony  Mills.  His  connection  with  this  es 
tablishment  is  spoken  of  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Nov.  7,  Oscar  O.  Finney,  aged  33.  Mr.  Finney  was  a  leading  mem 
ber  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity  and  for  several  years  was  proprietor  of 
the  Cohoes  Hotel. 

Dec.  8,  Abraham  Lansing,  aged  74.  Mr.  Lansing  was  one  of  the 
oldest  inhabitants  of  Cohoes.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  an 
obituary  notice  published  in  the  Cataract :  "  A  man  of  an  amiable  dis 
position,  of  the  strictest  integrity,  of  a  fine  and  unblemished  character, 
gathering  around  him  the  respect  and  attachment  of  all  who  knew 
him.  Beloved  in  the  family,  honored  as  an  upright  citizen  in  our  com 
munity,  and  in  the  Reformed  church  an  elder  who  "  ruled  well  and 
was  counted  worthy  of  double  honor."  In  a  good  old  age,  after  a  long 
life  of  Christian  usefulness,  he  has  fallen  asleep." 

Dec.  10,  Edward  Brennan,  aged  about  25.  Mr.  B.  was  collector  of 
the  village. 

Dec.  21,  Edward  Twelvetrees,  aged  17. 


APPENDIX.  281 

1868. 

Jan.  27,  John  Page,  aged  22. 

Feb.  4,  Charles  L.  Hubbell,  aged  about  45.  Mr.  H.  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  leading  mechanics  of  Cohoes. 

Feb.  24,  in  Flint,  Mich.,  Isaac  S.  Carter,  aged  28.  Mr.  C.  was  a  son 
of  Thomas  C.  Carter  of  Cohoes. 

March  26,  Alonzo  J.  M.  Me  Kee,  aged  23. 

April  11,  Bernard  O'Neil,  aged  46. 

April  18,  William  Sullivan,  aged  32. 

May  15,  Col.  Dow  Fonda,  aged  92.  Col.  F.  was  one  of  the  oldest 
residents  of  the  place. 

May  28,  John  Clark,  aged  25. 

July  6,  Louis  Valley,  aged  54. 

Aug.  2,  Rev.  A.  Judson  Bingham,  aged  about  40.  Mr.  B.  came  to 
Cohoes  in  March,  1865,  in  response  to  a  call  to  become  the  pastor  of 
the  Baptist  church.  He  resigned  his  charge  in  Feb.,  1867,  to  accept 
the  position  of  principal  of  Egberts  Institute,  in  which  he  continued 
until  his  death.  As  a  pastor  and  teacher  he  was  greatly  beloved.  He 
left  a  wife  and  three  children. 

Aug.  3,  Daniel  Scully,  aged  68. 

Aug.  17,  in  Quincy,  111.,  Joseph  Atwood,  formerly  a  resident  of 
Cohoes. 

Aug.  23,  James  Ryan,  aged  47. 

Sept.  25,  Michael  Monahon,  aged  28. 

Sept.  26,  Col.  Jacob  W.  Miller,  aged  58.  Col.  Miller  was  born 
August,  1810, in  Schaghticoke,  Rens.  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  commenced  teach 
ing  school  in  his  native  town  when  he  was  17  years  of  age.  Rev. 
Ensign  Stover,  at  one  time  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  church  of  Cohoes,  and 
his  brother,  the  late  Samuel  Stover,  Esq.,  of  West  Troy,  were  pupils 
of  his  at  that  time.  He  afterwards  taught  school  in  Halfmoon,  N.  Y., 
until  his  marriage,  when  he  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits  at  Vis- 
scher's  Ferry,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  remaining  there  until  the  death  of 
his  first  wife.  He  then  entered  the  office  of  Judge  Doe  at  Waterford 
in  the  same  county,  as  a  law  student.  Hon.  John  K.  Porter  was  a 
student  in  the  office  at  the  same  time,  and  both  were  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1842.  It  was  at  this  time  he  married  his  second  wife.  In  1844, 
he  came  to  Cohoes  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law,  whi~h  he  con 
tinued  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  His  first  partner  was  John  Van 
Santvoord,  Esq. ,  of  New  York  city,  the  partnership  continuing  until 
the  latter  left  the  place  in  1852.  From  this  time  he  continued  busi 
ness  alone  until  December,  1864,  when  Charles  F.  Doyle,  Esq.,  a 
former  student,  became  associated  with  him.  He  held  many  public 
positions  in  which  he  acquitted  himself  honorably  and  satisfactorily  to 
his  constituents.  In  1848,  with  Mr.  Van  Santvoord  he  built  the 
Miller  and  Van  Santvoord  Block  now  owned  by  H.  B.  Silliman,  and 
in  1862  erected  the  Miller  House  Block,  now  owned  by  Frank  Brown. 

Oct.  8,  Samuel  H.  Foster,  aged  52.  Mr.  Foster  was  born  in  Rensse- 
laerville,  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  resided  until  his  eighteenth 
year,  when  he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which  he  graduated 
after  completing  his  course  with  honor.  After  teaching  for  a  time,  he 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Jonathan  Jenkins,  at 
Rensselaerville,  N.  Y. ,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1841.  He  came 
to  Cohoes  in  1846,  and  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Stephen  C.  Miller 

36 


282  APPENDIX. 

Esq.,  a  young  lawyer  of  ability  and  promise.  Mr.  F.,  at  once  took  a 
leading  position  as  a  lawyer,  which  he  retained  until  his  death.  In 
1856,  he  was  the  candidate  of  the  American  party  for  district  attorney 
of  Albany  Co.,  but  owing  to  loss  of  prestige  by  that  organization,  he 
was  defeated.  He  afterward  served  the  people  as  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  and  in  1866,  was  chosen  chairman  of  that  body,  in 
which  position  he  gave  most  valuable  service  to  the  cause  of  education. 

Nov.  2,  Joseph  A.  Simons,  aged  49.  Mr.  Simons  was  for  many  years 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Cohoes,  as  proprietor  of  the 
Cohoes  and  Troy  Stage  Line,  and  as  a  merchant  on  West  Harmony 
Hill.  He  was  a  leading  member  of  Cohoes  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
enjoyed  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens  in  a  large  degree. 

1869. 

Jan.  12,  John  W.  Visscher,  aged  1 6. 

Feb.  1,  \Yillard  A.  Bayard,  aged  27.  Mr.  B.  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Union  army,  where  lie  contracted  the  disease  which  resulted  in  his 
death. 

Feb.  8,  Edward  Knight,  aged  26. 

Feb.  22,  A.  F.  Safely,  M.D.,  aged  40.  Dr.  S. ,  was  a  brother  of  Robert 
Safely.  He  was  born  in  Scotland,  and  came  with  his  parents  to 
Waterford,  N.  Y.,  at  an  early  age.  He  studied  medicine  in  the  Albany 
Medical  College,  and  graduated  in  1852.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the 
rebellion  he  enlisted  in  the  10th  N.  Y.  Vols.,  and  served  with  it  until 
lie  was  honorably  discharged  in  consequence  of  wounds  received  at  the 
2d  battle  of  Bull  Run,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  never  thoroughly 
recovered. 

March  31,  in  New  York,  Thomas  Garner,  Jr.,  aged  30.  He  was  for 
some  years  connected  with  the  Harmony  Co.,  but  retired  three  years  be 
fore  his  death,  in  consequence  of  ill  health. 

March  27,  Egbert  Egberts,  aged  78.  Mr.  Egberts  was  born  at  Coey- 
mans,  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  his  father,  Anthony  Egberts,  who  was 
an  officer  in  the  revolutionary  army,  settled  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
In  1812,  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  Albany,  with  his  brother 
Cornelius,  under  the  firm  name  of  C.  and  E.  Egberts.  In  1831,  he  re 
moved  to  Cohoes,  where  he,  with  Timothy  Bailey,  first  successfully 
introduced  the  power  knitting  frame,  and  established  an  extensive 
manufactory.  In  1852,  he  retired  from  active  business,  with  a  com 
petency  which  he  always  used  in  a  spirit  of  Christian  liberality.  In 
that  year  he  was  the  candidate  of  the  Whig  party  for  congress.  In 
1858,  he  organized  the  bank  of  Cohoes,  and  was  chosen  its  president, 
which  office  he  retained  until  his  death.  The  "Egberts  Institute," 
received  from  him  an  endowment  of  $20.000,  and  the  Reformed  church 
of  Cohoes,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  is  indebted  in  a  great  measure 
to  his  taste  and  liberality  for  their  beautiful  house  of  worship.  He 
was  a  friend  of  the  poor,  and  for  every  good  cause  he  had  an  open 
heart  and  hand. 

March  30,  A.  D.  Shepherd,  aged  about  60.  Mr.  Shepherd  was  for 
many  years  the  proprietor  of  the  extensive  flouring  mills  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Mohawk  river,  known  as  the  Shattemuck  Mills. 

March  31,  in  Albany,  William  Smith,  one  of  the  firm  of  Smith, 
Gregory  &  Co.  of  the  American  Hosiery  Mills  of  Cohoes. 

April  4,  John  Horan,  aged  55. 

April  5,  at  Wappinger's  Falls,  N.  Y.,  Newton  Fowler,  aged  22. 

April  13,  Joseph  Atheson,  aged  37. 


APPENDIX.  283 

April  15,  John  W.  Vandenburgh,  aged  30. 

May  19,  Jerome  Sanders,  aged  46.  Mr.  S.  was  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  official  board  of  the  M.  E.  church. 

May  20,  William  Whitehill,  aged  84. 

June  1,  Henry  Ash  worth,  aged  55. 

June  14,  John  Harrison,  aged  85.  Mr.  Harrison  was  born  in  Ire 
land  and  came  to  America  in  1851.  He  had  been  a  consistent  member 
of  the  M.  E.  church  for  68  years. 

June  13,  Charles  L.  Benson,  aged  36. 

July  28,  Dr.  Ira  B.  Rose,  aged  67. 

Aug.  12,  John  Robertson,  aged  31. 

Sept.  13,  Halsey  R.  Grant,  aged  44.  Mr.  Grant  had  for  eighteen 
years  previous  to  his  death  been  prominently  connected  with  the  busi 
ness  interests  of  Cohoes,  as  a  merchant  and  public  official.  He 
frequently  represented  his  fellow  citizens  in  the  board  of  village  trus 
tees,  and  in  the  board  of  education  where  his  conscientious  discharge 
of  public  duties  elicited  the  commendation,  and  commanded  the  confi 
dence  of  the  people  whom  he  so  faithfully  served.  He  had  been  for 
many  years  superintendent  of  the  water  works,  a  trustee  of  the  Cohoes 
Savings  Institution,  and  an  influential  member  of  Cohoes  Lodge,  P. 
&A.  M. 

Oct.  24,  John  Lyons,  aged  57.  Mr.  Lyons  had  resided  in  Cohoes 
for  many  years  and  was  known  as  a  conscientious  upright  citizen.  He 
frequently  represented  his  fellow  citizens  as  village  trustee  and  in 
other  responsible  positions. 

Oct.  30,  Charles  W.  Orelup,  aged  30. 

Oct.  31,  at  Pulaski,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Stephen  C.  Miller,  Esq., 
aged  47.  Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Westerlo,  Albany  Co.,N.  Y.,  Feb. 
18th  1823.  He  prepared  for  college  in  the  Albany  Academy  and  in  the 
fall  of  1843  entered  the  junior  class  of  Union  College  and  graduated 
in  1845.  After  graduation  he  was  engaged  as  a  teacher  in  Kingsley's 
classical  and  mathematical  military  school  at  West  Point,  where  he 
remained  a  year  and  a  half.  He  then  entered  upon  the  study  of  the 
law  in  the  office  of  the  late  Rufus  W.  Peckham  of  Albany,  and  after 
finishing  his  course  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  supreme  court. 
Forming  a  partnership  with  the  late  Samuel  H.  Foster,  Esq.,  he  com 
menced  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  at  the  same  time  was  co- 
editor  and  proprietor  with  Horace  B.  Silliman  of  the  Cohoes  Cataract. 
In  1851  he  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Wilkinson  and  about  the 
same  time  discontinued  his  law  practice  and  forming  a  partnership  with 
his  father-in-law,  Samuel  Wilkinson,  opened  a  store  where  the  Empire 
Mill  now  stands.  This  enterprise  proving  unsuccessful  he  accepted 
the  position  of  principal  of  the  Pulaski  Academy,  which  he  occupied 
for  three  years.  He  then  purchased  the  office  of  the  Pulaski  Democrat, 
and  continued  the  publication  of  the  paper  until  his  death. 

Nov.  17,  William  Ferguson,  aged  55. 

Dec.  19,  Rev.  L.  H.  Saugon,  aged  53.  Mr.  Saugon  was  the  first 
pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  French  Catholic  church  of  the  village  and  had 
presided  over  his  charge  but  a  little  more  than  a  year  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  was  indefatigable  in  labor  for  the  good  of  his  congrega 
tion,  by  whom  he  was  universally  beloved.  He  was  accomplished  as 
a  scholar,  an  eloquent  speaker  and  devotedly  attached  to  his  church. 

Dec.  12,  John  E.  Damon,  aged  29. 


284  APPENDIX. 

1870. 

Jan.  17,  James  Lackin,  aged  71.  Mr.  L.  was  one  of  the  oldest 
residents  of  the  3d  ward. 

Jan.  15,  Thomas  Crossley,  aged  about  40. 

Jan.  20,  William  Nugent,  aged  17. 

March  26,  Joseph  Biscornette,  aged  about  45.  Mr.  B.  was  well 
known  as  the  proprietor  of  the  Union  Hotel,  on  Oneida  street. 

April  14,  Thomas  Ryan,  aged  about  55. 

April  30,  John  Campbell,  aged  37. 

May  11,  Ebenezer  Benson,  aged  77. 

June  24,  Dr.  Alfred  Wands,  aged  48.  Dr.  Wands  was  an  old  resi 
dent  of  Cohoes  and  occupied  a  prominent  position  as  a  citizen  and  phy 
sician.  He  had  on  several  occasions  represented  his  fellow  citizens  in 
local  affairs,  and  in  every  trust  proved  himself  capable  and  upright. 

July  19,  George  Grass,  aged  66. 

Aug.  7,  Ira  Terry,  aged  64.  Mr.  Terry  was  for  many  years  the 
leading  druggist  of  the  place,  and  had  occupied  a  prominent  position 
as  a  conscientious  business  man. 

Aug.  24,  in  Watervliet  Center,  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.  Gilbert  I.  Van 
Zandt,  aged  77.  For  a  long  period  Mr.  Van  Zandt  had  represented  the 
town  of  Watervliet  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors  and  held  other  posi 
tions  of  trust  and  responsibility,  in  which  he  served  his  constituents 
capably  and  honorably. 

Oct.  6,  Hon.  Hugh  White,  aged  72.  Hugh  White  was  born  in 
Whitestown,  N.  Y.,  in  December,  1798.  His  early  days  were  passed 
upon  his  father's  farm.  In  1819,  as  he  approached  his  majority,  he 
commenced  a  course  of  study,  preparatory  to  entering  Hamilton  College, 
from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1823.  On  leaving  college  he 
went  to  New  York  and  devoted  himself  to  the  law.  He  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  after  a  course  of  study  in  the  office  of  Col.  Chas.  G.  Haines, 
but  his  tastes  inclining  him  more  towards  commercial  life,  he  embraced 
an  opportunity  then  offered  him  by  his  brother  Canvass,  of  engaging 
in  business.  Canvass  White  had  perfected  a  method  of  manufacturing 
an  hydraulic  cement  which  was  largely  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
Erie  Canal,  and  had  established  his  works  at  Chittenango.  His  brother 
took  charge  of  these  works,  and  in  this  occupation  he  remained  for  some 
years,  there  first  manifesting  the  business  ability  and  sagacity  which 
were  his  prominent  traits  in  after  life.  In  April,  1830,  Mr.  White  came 
to  Cohoes  to  take  the  place  of  his  brother  (who  was  extensively  occu 
pied  elsewhere),  in  managing  the  affairs  of  the  Cohoes  Co.  Under  his 
supervision  the  earliest  important  works  of  the  company  were  com 
pleted.  He  directed  the  building  of  the  first  dams  in  '31  and  '32,  and 
the  construction  of  the  first  canal  in  1834.  He  was  engaged  at  the 
same  time  in  several  minor  enterprises,  which  served  to  occupy  his 
time  in  the  intervals  of  attention  to  more  important  duties.  Among 
these  were  a  saw  mill  on  Harmony  Hill,  in  Cohoes,  a  flour  mill,  and 
mill  on  the  Waterford  side  of  the  river  in  which  the  manufacture  of 
the  cement  above  referred  to  was  continued.  In  1836,  Mr.  White  be 
came  interested  in  the  company  which  built  the  first  Harmony  Mill,  and 
its  affairs  received  his  attention  for  some  time.  Mr.  White  represented 
the  Saratoga  district  in  congress  for  three  terms,  from  1845  to  1851,  and 
though  not  prominent  as  a  debater,  was  a  most  faithful  and  hard 
working  member,  and  performed  important  services  on  the  committees 
to  which  he  was  assigned.  Soon  after,  Mr.  White  retired  from  active 


APPENDIX.  285 

business,  though  retaining  an  interest  in  a  number  of  business  enter 
prises.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  president  of  the  Saratoga  Co. 
Nat.  B'k,  with  which  institution  he  had  long  been  connected.  Mr. 
White's  declining  years  were  passed  in  the  retirement  of  his  home  in 
Waterford,  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  ample  fortune  which  he  had 
amassed.  Of  his  character,  the  Cohoes  Cataract,  in  an  article  on  his 
death,  spoke  as  follows  :  "  He  was  essentially  an  executive  man  ;  what 
he  undertook,  he  always  accomplished,  for  he  was  a  man  of  strong 
i  ndomitable  will  ;  he  was  generous  and  large  hearted  in  all  his  dealings, 
and  many  a  young  man  has  been  started  on  in  the  world  by  his  kind 
ness  and  his  means." 

Oct.  17,  Joseph  E.  Ballard,  aged  22. 

Oct.  21,  Dr.  Joseph  Varin,  aged  about  55. 

Oct.  21,  William  Gledhill,  aged  70. 

Nov.  2,  John  Clark,  Jr.,  aged  21.  Mr.  Clark  had  entered  the  Ro 
chester  Theological  Seminary,  with  a  view  to  preparing  for  the  ministry. 
His  pure  life  and  genial  disposition  had  endeared  him  to  many  friends, 
and  his  early  death  cast  a  gloom  over  a  large  circle. 

Nov.  4,  Francis  Way,  aged  60. 

Nov.  12,  Hiram  Chubb,  aged  37. 

Nov.  17,  John  Drysdale,  aged  71.  Mr.  D.  had  been  a  resident  of 
Cohoes  for  many  years,  and  was  known  as  an  upright,  conscientious 
citizen. 

Dec.  7,  George  Hudson,  aged  19. 

Dec.  28,  Michael  Ryan,  aged  50. 

1871. 

Jan.  14,  Daniel  Keeler,  aged  40. 

Jan.  20,  John  Foreman,  aged  29. 

Jan.  21,  Robert  Maitland,  aged  35. 

Feb.  27,  James  Whalen,  aged  67. 

Feb.  25,  Henry  Lyons,  aged  21. 

March  30,  Joseph  Moore,  aged  63.  Mr.  Moore  was  for  several  years 
a  merchant  in  Troy,  but  for  some  time  previous  to  his  death  resided 
with  his  son  Dr.  J.  W.  Moore,  of  this  city. 

March  27,  Adam  Vanderwerken,  aged  69. 

April  25,  Lt.  William  Buchanan,  aged  45.  Mr.  Buchanan  went  out 
as  a  lieutenant  in  Capt.  Trull's  company  30th  X.  Y.  Vols.,  in  October, 
1862,  and  participated  with  it  in  the  battles  of  Fredericksburg  and 
Chancellorsville.  On  the  return  of  that  regiment  he  was  transferred 
to  the  76th  Reg't,  N.  Y.  Vols.  After  passing  through  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg  and  several  engagements  of  less  note,  he  was  taken  pri 
soner  at  one  of  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness  and  sent  to  Anderson ville 
prison,  where  he  remained  nearly  a  year.  While  being  removed  with 
other  prisoners  to  a  more  secure  prison  he  escaped  from  the  cars,  and 
reaching  our  lines  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  was  soon  transferred  to  Wash 
ington  and  discharged.  He  was  one  of  the  first  officers  appointed 
under  the  capital  police  system  and  served  as  captain  until  he  resigned 
to  go  into  business. 

June  5,  William  Waterhouse,  aged  57. 

July  24,  Michael  Latta,  aged  68. 

July  26,  William  Green,  aged  19. 

Aug.  12,  William  Ballantyne,  aged  65. 

Aug.  14,  Patrick  Griffin,  aged  37. 


286  APPENDIX. 

Sept.  15,  John  Russell,  aged  24. 

Sept.  16,  James  Wallace,  aged  35. 

Oct.  30,  in  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  George  W.  Upham,  aged  38. 

Nov.  4,  in  San;Francisco,  Cal.,  Joseph  Almy,  aged  36. 

Dec.  2,  George"  W.  Hutchins,  aged  58. 

1872. 

Jan.  16,  Daniel  Whalen,  aged  22. 

Jan.  18,  John  Forbes,  aged  47. 

Jan.  26,  James  Driscoll,  aged  42. 

Jan.  27,  John  C.  Mahon,  aged  24. 

Jan.  29,  Michael  Lynch,  aged  45.  Mr.  Lynch  had  been  a  resident 
of  the  3d  ward  25  years  and  ranked  among  the  leading  business  men 
of  that  part  of  the  place. 

Jan.  29,  David  McLuckey,  aged  56. 

Jan.  29,  John  Langtree,  aged  37. 

March  5,  John  Ward,  aged  33. 

March  10,  Barent  C.  Schemerhorn,  aged  68,  father  of  the  Schemer- 
horn  brothers,  dentists,  of  this  city. 

March  13,  Joseph  Phillips,  aged  65.  Mr.  Phillips  was  formerly  a 
business  partner  of  A.  A.  Osterhout  under  the  firm  name  of  Osterhout 
&  Phillips;  subsequently  he  did  business  alone  as  a  grocer  in  Granite 
Hall  and  latterly  in  company  with  W.  A.  McMillan  at  the  corner  of 
Remsen  and  White  streets. 

April  1,  John  P.  Steenberg,  aged  69.  Mr.  Steenberg  was  one  of  the 
oldest  business  men  in  Cohoes,  his  store  and  house  on  the  corner  of 
Remsen  and  White  streets  being  among  the  first  buildings  erected  in 
that  part  of  the  city.  For  many  years,  in  addition  to  his  business  in 
that  place,  he  pursued  his  profession  of  engineer  and  surveyor,  and  in 
that  capacity  was  prominently  connected  with  many  of  the  earliest 
improvements  of  Cohoes. 

April  24,  Ezra  J.  Wheeler,  aged  48. 

May  1st,  Archibald  McLean,  of  the  firm  of  W.  D.  &  A.  McLean, 
aged  32.  He  was  a  designer  of  patterns  for  shawls  in  the  establish 
ment  of  Roy  &  Co.,  West  Troy.  Although  not  a  resident  of  Cohoes, 
yet  through  his  business  relations  with  his  brother,  the  citizens  es 
teemed  and  respected  him  as  one  of  their  own  number  and  his  unex 
pected  decease  cast  a  gloom  over  the  entire  community. 

May  11,  James  Henthorn,  aged  about  45. 

May  31,  Henry  Cahill,  a  prominent  and  influential  resident  of  the 
3d  ward,  aged  40. 

June  17,  Paul  Schmidt,  aged  71. 

July  16,  John  Daley,  a  member  of  Howarth  Engine  Co.,  died  from 
the  effects  of  injuries  received  while  attending  a  fire  at  the  Clifton  Mill. 

July  31,  William  J.  Wheeler,  aged  50.  Mr.  Wheeler  was  a  leading 
democratic  politician  and  business  man  of  the  town  of  Watervliet.  He 
served  one  term  as  member  of  the  legislature,  five  years  in  the  board 
of  supervisors  of  which  body  he  was  chairman  four  years.  In  1870-1, 
he  was  superintendent  of  section  No.  1,  Erie  Canal  and  occupied  other 
positions  of  trust  and  responsibility. 

Aug.  9,  Daniel  Simpson,  aged  about  45.  He  was  foreman  of  the 
Harmony  Manufacturing  Go's  carpenter  shop,  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education,  of  the  Johnston  Steamer  Co. ,  Alden  Hose  Co. ,  and  various 
masonic  organizations. 


APPENDIX.  287 

August  21,  Henry  En  Earl,  aged  86.  Mr.  En  Earl  was  one  of  the 
oldest  residents  of  the  city,  having  moved  here  from  Troy  in  1824.  He 
took  an  active  interest  in  the  progress  of  the  place,  and  in  its  early 
days  occupied  a  number  of  responsible  positions  in  the  local  govern 
ment. 

Sept.  23,  Hezekiah  Howe,  aged  89.  Mr.  Howe,  the  fifth  of  a  family 
often  children,  was  born  July  9,  1783,  in  Killingly,  Conn.,  where  his 
family  had  resided  since  1709.  His  early  years  were  passed  in  his 
native  place,  and  there  he  obtained  his  first  experience  of  business 
life.  After  i.is  marriage  with  Miss  Lydia  Wilkinson,  he  removed  to 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  and  engaged  in  business  with  his  brother-in-law 
David  Wilkinson.  The  firm  occupied  a  prominent  position  among  the 
manufacturers  of  the  state,  and  were  very  successful.  At  a  later  period 
they  established  a  flourishing  business  at  Wilkinsonville,  Conn.,  but 
in  the  financial  troubles  of  1829  their  losses  were  heavy,  and  they 
were  compelled  to  discontinue.  When  Mr.  Wilkinson,  as  elsewhere 
stated,  was  prevailed  upon  to  come  to  Cohoes  Mr.  Howe  decided  to 
accompany  him,  although  every  inducement  was  offered  him  by  his 
friends  to  remain  in  the  east,  and  arrived  here  May  1,  1831.  Here  he 
continued  to  reside  until  within  a  few  years  of  his  death.  From  the 
history  of  his  connection  with  Cohoes  in  its  early  days,  as  related  else 
where,  it  will  be  seen  that  he  had  a  most  important  part  in  shaping 
the  fortunes  of  the  place,  and  was  prominent  among  those  who  estab 
lished  here,  in  spite  of  drawbacks  and  reverses,  the  foundations  of  a 
large  and  prosperous  city.  Mr.  Howe  had  contracts  for  the  construc 
tion  of  the  first  canals  of  the  Cohoes  Co.  ;  he  was  also  engaged  in  gene 
ral  business  here  at  different  times  and  for  over  twenty  years,  was 
postmaster  of  the  village.  He  was  ever  an  active  Christian,  and  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  first  Episcopal  church  built  in  Pawtucket, 
and  later  of  St.  John's  church  of  Cohoes.  His  firm  integrity  of  char 
acter,  and  gentle  kindliness  of  manner,  endeared  him  to  a  large  circle 
of  friends,  and  his  loss  was  deeply  felt. 

Dec.  19,  in  Lansingburg,  N.  Y.,  Isaac  D.  Ayres,  one  of  the  originators 
and  founders  of  the  Cohoes  Advertiser  in  1847,  and  the  Newark  Mer 
cury.  The  latter  years  of  his  life  were  spent  as  publisher  of  the  Lan 
singburg  Gazette. 

1873. 

Jan.  10,  Dr.  J.  B.  Forrest,  aged  about  45. 

Jan.  12,  John  O'Neil,  aged  79. 

Jan.  16,  Benjamin  M.  Alexander,  aged  26. 

Jan.  19,  Hugh  Thompson,  aged  69.  Mr.  Thompson  came  to  Cohoes 
in  1846,  and  entered  into  the  employ  of  the  Ogden  Mills.  He  after 
ward  established  a  grocery  store  on  the  corner  of  Remsen  and  Factory 
streets,  where  he  continued  business  until  his  death.  His  was  the 
oldest  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  city. 

March  8,  Wright  Mallery,  aged  67.  Mr.  Mallery  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers,  having  removed  from  West  Troy  to  this  place  nearly 
forty  years  ago.  He  was  widely  known  and  respected. 

March  13,  N.  B.  Davis,  aged  73. 

March  15,  Michael  J.  Collins,  aged  27. 

March  17,  Walter  Witbeck,  aged  52.  Mr.  Witbeck  came  to  Cohoes 
with  Daniel  Simmons  in  1835.  He  entered  the  axe  factory  as  overseer 
of  the  polishing  department,  and  retained  that  position  in  the  estab 
lishment  until  his  death,  a  period  of  over  thirty-eight  years.  Mr.  Wit" 


288  APPENDIX. 

beck  was  one  of  our  best  known  and  most  respected  citizens.  He  waa 
closely  identified  with,  the  growth  of  Cohoes,  and  had  occupied  a  num 
her  of  positions  of  responsibi.ity  in  local  affairs. 

March  22,  Henry  Schroeder,  aged  49. 

April  18,  John  W.  Mills,  aged  24. 

May  12,  James  Hayden,  aged  60. 

June  7,  Robert  Meikleham,  for  a  long  time  chief  book-keeper  in  the 
establishment  of  D.  Simmons  &  Co.,  aged  62. 

June  15,  James  Brown,  aged  89. 

July  4,  Charles  H.  Van  Schaick,  aged  64. 

July  18,  Francois  X.  Lauzon,  aged  59. 

Aug.  11,  Rev.  John  Fitzpatrick,  aged  26.  "  Few  young  men  of  our 
city  have  commenced  life  with  greater  promise  than  the  subject  of 
this  notice.  Possessing  a  high  order  of  talent,  a  peculiarly  amiable 
disposition,  and  having  enjoyed  superior  educational  advantages,  he 
was  prepared,  at  a  very  early  age,  to  enter  upon  the  active  duties  of 
his  profession  with  a  bright  prospect  of  usefulness  and  distinction.  He 
had,  however,  but  just  commenced  the  third  year  of  his  ministry  at 
Pompey,  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  when  he  was  stricken  down  by  dis 
ease.  His  remains  were  brought  to  Cohoes  for  interment,  and  deeply 
impressive  ceremonies  were  observed  in  St.  Bernard's,  which  were 
attended  by  a  large  concourse  of  the  clergy  and  our  citizens." 

Aug.  12,  Absalom  Sharp,  aged  about  44. 

Aug.  13,  John  Coakley,  aged  66. 

Aug.  25,  Edward  Magee,  aged  45. 

Aug.  27,  Bernard  McClarey,  aged  60. 

Aug.  27,  Patrick  H.  Ross,  aged  48.  Mr.  Ross  occupied  a  leading 
position  among  the  musicians  of  the  place  during  a  long  residence  in 
Cohoes.  For  much  of  the  time  he  was  leader  of  a  band  and  chorister 
and  organist  at  St.  Bernard's  church. 

Sept.  20,  James  McGaffin,  aged  70. 

Sept.  30,  Mark  H.  Gould,  aged  36.  Mr.  Gould  had  been  a  resident 
of  Cohoes  about  four  years  and  was  well  known  as  the  manager  of  the 
manufacturing  establishment  of  Hon.  Wm.  T.  Horrobin. 

Oct.  15,  John  McCusker,  aged  75. 

Oct.  28,  John  Tobin,  aged  28. 

Dec.  8,  Thomas  Barclay,  printer,  aged  17. 

Dec.  16,  Radcliffe  Taylor,  aged  50. 

Dec.  23,  Guy  Blakely,  aged  71.  Mr.  Blakely  had  been  a  resident 
of  Cohoes  since  it  was  a  hamlet.  He  was  known  as  a  conscientious, 
upright  citizen  and  a  devoted  member  of  St.  John's  church,  in  which 
he  served  as  warden  for  many  years. 

1874. 

Jan.  2,  in  Niles,  Michigan,  H.  S.  Reinhart,  aged  34. 

Jan.  8,  William  Jones,  aged  27. 

Jan.  17,  Charles  T.  Carter,  aged  64.  Mr.  Carter,  who  was  a  twin 
brother  of  Thomas  C.  Carter  of  this  city,  was  born  in  Newburyport, 
Mass.,  in  1810.  In  his  early  life  he  was  a  sailor  —  but  about  1835, 
abandoned  that  occupation  and  came  to  Cohoes.  He  entered  the  em 
ploy  of  Daniel  Simmons,  and  was  connected  with  the  axe  factory  until 
1857,  when  after  a  short  interval,  during  which  he  acted  as  station 
agent  at  this  place  of  the  Albany  Northern  RailRoadCo.,he  established 
the  drug  business,  which  he  continued  until  his  death. 


APPENDIX.  289 

Feb.  7,  James  L.  N.  Cranston,  aged  39,  was  killed  by  the  cars  of  the 
Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  Rail  Road,  near  Fort  Edward. 

Feb.  8,  Alexander  Richmond,  aged  38. 

March  8,  Samuel  W.  Lovejoy,  aged  43.  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  born  in 
Oxford,  N.  H.,  in  1831.  He  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in 
1857,  and  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Peckham, 
of  Albany.  In  1860  he  came  to  Cohoes,  where  he  soon  took  a  promi 
nent  position  among  members  of  the  bar.  He  was  for  a  number  of 
years  deputy  U.  S.  assessor,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  city 
attorney. 

March  17,  William  Searles,  aged  65. 

March  29,  Elislia  T.  Green,  aged  62.  Mr.  Green  had  resided  in 
Cohoes  twenty-three  years.  Most  of  that  time  he  had  been  an  over- 
Beer  in  the  Harmony  Mills.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  integrity,  and 
was  frequently  chosen  to  represent  his  ward  in  the  village  government. 

May  28,  Jacob  J.  Lansing,  died  in  Attica,  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Mr.  L.  was  a  former  resident  of  Cohoes,  and  well  known  to  many  of 
our  older  inhabitants.  He  had  been  for  a  number  of  years  previous  to 
his  death  in  the  employ  of  the  Erie  Rail  Road  Co. 

June  22,  Michael  Mulholland,  aged  56. 

Juue  23,  Joseph  Taylor,  aged  89. 

June  26,  Louis  Falardo,  aged  73. 

July  2,  James  M.  Campbell,  aged  17. 

July  11,  William  Hogben. 

Aug.  2,  John  B.  Moulthrop,  aged  70. 

Aug.  7,  John  M.  Dickson,  aged  19. 

Sept.  9,  Owen  McDermott,  aged  55. 

Sept.  10,  William  H.  Eastwood,  aged  19. 

Sept.  15,  James  Dillon,  aged  19. 

Sept.  29,  Edward  McArdle,  aged  55. 

Oct.  1,  Michael  Lally,  aged  68. 

Oct.  4,  Cornelius  O'Keefe,  aged  46. 

Oct.  5,  Daniel  Mahar,  aged  60. 

Oct  14,  Peter  A.  Brown,  aged  30.  Mr.  Brown  was  a  printer,  having 
served  an  apprenticeship  in  the  Cataract  office.  He  entered  the  army 
during  the  rebellion,  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  seven  months  in 
Andersonville,  where  he  contracted  the  disease  which  resulted  in  his 
death. 

Oct.  21,  Thomas  J.  Syms,  aged  41.  Mr.  Syms  had  been  a  resident 
of  Cohoes  for  twenty  years.  He  served  in  the  Union  army  during  the 
rebellion,  was  taken  prisoner  and  for  seven  months  confined  in  Ander 
sonville,  where  he  suffered  greatly  from  exposure  and  privation. 

Oct.  25,  Benjamin  F.  Lovejoy,  aged  about  44. 

Nov.  9,  Michael  Fallen,  aged  88. 

Nov.  12,  Isaac  D.  F.  Lansing,  aged  84.  Mr.  Lansing  was  the  oldest 
resident  of  Cohoes,  having  been  born  in  1790,  in  the  brick  house  still 
standing  near  the  Cohoes  Company's  dam,  and  resided  in  that  locality 
all  his  life.  As  will  be  seen  elsewhere,  his  ancestors  were  among  the 
earliest  settlers  of  Cohoes,  and  were  the  first  to  utilize  the  water  power 
of  the  Mohawk,  having  established  in  1740,  the  mills  above  the  falls 
which  remained  in  possession  of  the  family  until  a  few  years  ago. 
Living  as  he  did,  outside  of  the  business  centre  of  Cohoes,  Mr.  Lansing 
took  no  very  active  part  in  the  development  of  the  place,  but  he  was 
well  known  in  the  community,  and  universally  honored  and  respected 

37 


290  APPENDIX. 

Nov.  18,  Edward  Cavenaugh,  aged  28. 

Nov.  19,  William  N.  Crawford,  aged  50. 

Nov.  27,  Thomas  Hempliill,  aged  about  32. 

Dec.  2,  William  Harrison,  aged  64. 

Dec.  8,  Patrick  K.  Murphy,  aged  45. 

Dec.  14,  William  Greason,  aged  about  32. 

Dec.  30,  John  Short,  aged  66. 

1875. 

Jan.  7,  Lucius  Doolittle,  aged  83. 

Jan.  14,  Charles  H.  Vaughan,  printer,  aged  26. 

Jan.  21,  Joshua  Bailey,  aged  75,  in  Waterford,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Bailey 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Cohoes,  and  from  his  connection  with  the 
early  history  of  the  knitting  business,  elsewhere  spoken  of,  had  a  most 
important  influence  in  the  history  of  the  place.  He  remained  in  active 
business  until  a  few  years  since  when  he  retired  to  enjoy  the  ample 
competence  which  was  the  result  of  his  labors. 

Jan.  24,  Michael  Keating,  aged  54. 

Jan.  27,  Owen  Garraghan,  aged  55. 

Feb.  1,  Patrick  Dennin,  aged  77. 

Feb.  7,  Peter  Foley,  aged  32. 

Feb.  25,  John  Wesley  Howarth,  eldest  son  of  Henry  Howarth,  con 
tractor  and  builder,  aged  32. 

March  11,  Hugh  Laughlin,  aged  62. 

March  14,  Dennis  Ryan,  aged  49. 

March  21,  William  R.  Eagan,  policeman,  aged  24. 

March  25,  Myron  C.  Lansing,  youngest  son  of  Jacob  I.  Lansing, 
aged  21. 

March  26,  Thomas  McNamara,  aged  22. 

March  28,  James  Burns,  aged  36. 

April  9,  Charles  W.  Carter,  son  of  the  late  Charles  T.  Carter,  aged 
25. 

April  13,  John  Fielding,  musician,  aged  30. 

April  15,  John  McCormick,  aged  64. 

April  15,  Daniel  Fitzpatrick,  aged  62. 

April  16,  John  Connors,  aged  28. 

April  23,  Patrick  McGraw,  aged  60. 

April  26,  Matthew  Bannon,  aged  22. 

May  5,  Thomas  Connors,  aged  63. 

May  11,  John  Downs,  aged  27. 

May  13,  Thomas  Mullin,  aged  21. 

May  12,  Peter  Casey,  aged  74.  Mr.  Casey  was  one  of  the  oldest  re 
sidents  of  the  place,  having  been  a  citizen  for  42  years. 

May  17,  Martin  Fltzpatrick,  aged  47. 

May  18,  Richard  Ardron,  aged  59. 

May  22,  Daniel  B.  McClary,  aged  29.  Mr.  McC.  was  a  printer,  well- 
known  in  the  city.  He  served  honorably  in  the  late  war  as  a  member 
of  the  12th  Reg't  N.  Y.  Cavalry. 

May  27,  John  M.  Spencer,  aged  about  60.  For  over  twenty  years 
Mr.  Spencer  tiad  lived  in  Cohoes  and  on  several  occasions  served  the 
people  as  census  marshal  and  in  other  positions. 

May  29,  George  Monk,  aged  39. 

June  4,  John  Prairie,  aged  55. 

June  15,  John  Belville,  aged  36. 


APPENDIX.  291 

June  21,  Michael  Lawler,  aged  67. 

June  22,  in  Albany,  Alexander  M.  Gregory,  aged  65.  Mr.  Gregory, 
though  never  residing  in  this  city,  had  been  engaged  in  the  knitting 
business  here  for  many  years  and  was  a  prominent  business  man.  He 
was  one  of  the  firm  of  Gregorys  &  Hiller. 

June  28,  Michael  Brennan,  aged  65. 

July  2,  Thomas  B.  Flannigan,  aged  29. 

July  5,  William  Parker,  aged  20. 

July  8,  Joseph  Mirault,  aged  25. 

July  9,  Patrick  Burke,  aged  45. 

July  10,  Charles  Hicks,  aged  32. 

July  16,  In  Swansea,  Mass. ,  John  W.  Lansing,  formerly  of  Cohoes, 
aged  61. 

August  2,  Dennis  Normile,  aged  29. 

August  8,  Patrick  Quinlan,  aged  30. 

August  11,  William  Bindewald,  aged  20. 

August  31 ,  William  S.  South  worth,  aged  68.  Mr.  South  worth,  who 
came  to  this  city  from  Bennington,  Vt.,  was  the  son  of  Judge  Gordon 
Southworth  of  Dorset,  in  that  state.  He  commenced  the  study  of  law 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  and  soon  became  one  of  the  leading  members 
of  the  profession.  He  was  for  some  time  engaged  in  manufacturing 
in  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  came  to  Cohoes  in  1873.  Although  he  had  re 
sided  here  but  a  short  time,  he  had  endeared  himself  to  all  by  his  kindly 
manner  and  upright  character. 

Sept.  4,  Joseph  Rousseau,  aged  64. 

Sept.  11,  Thomas  A.  Hall,  aged  about  32. 

Sept.  18,  James  M.  Hayward,  aged  56.  Mr.  Hayward  came  to  Co 
hoes  in  1850,  and  commenced  the  flour  and  feed  business,  in  which  he 
was  engaged  until  his  death.  He  was  one  of  our  best  known  citizens. 

Sept.  21,  Peter  Ryan,  aged  20. 

Sept.  29,  Thomas  Larkin,  aged  19. 

Oct.  1,  William  Evers,  aged  69. 

Oct.  2,  Thomas  Kenny,  aged  75. 

Oct.  5,  Frank  Fitzpatrick,  aged  35. 

Oct.  5,  George  Greason. 

Oct.  8,  James  Wiuterbottom.  Mr.  Winterbottom  had  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  Harmony  Co.,  nearly  17  years.  He  served  in  the  army 
during  the  rebellion. 

Oct.  14,  Thomas  McTigue,  aged  66. 

Oct.  30,  Robert  Barton,  aged  51. 

Nov.  6,  Thomas  Page,  aged  66. 

Nov.  22,  Patrick  Kennedy,  aged  42. 

Nov.  27,  John  Copeland,  aged  65.  Mr.  Copeland  came  to  Cohoes  in 
1860,  and  continued  the  business  of  slate  roofer  until  his  decease.  He 
took  an  active  part  in  the  organization  of  the  Friendly  Society  of  the 
Sons  of  Scotia  and  the  Caledonian  Club  of  Cohoes  and  was  one  of  their 
most  earnest  supporters. 

Dec. — ,  Peter  Vandercook,  Sen.,  aged  85.  Mr.  Vandercook  had  been 
a  resident  of  Cohoes  39  years.  He  was  born  in  Pittstown,  Rens.  Co., 
N.  Y.,  and  in  1886  removed  to  Cohoes,  locating  at  the  head  of  the  four 
locks,  where  he  lived  for  many  years.  He  was  a  farmer  and  miller  by 
occupation. 

Dec.  10,  James  Durrant,  aged  49.  Mr.  Durrant  left  home  in  company 
with  his  son,  Nov.  29th,  on  a  visit  to  California,  and  had  nearly  reached 


292  APPENDIX. 

the  end  of  his  journey,  when  he  was  killed  by  accident.     He  was  well 
and  favorably  known  as  a  citizen  and  master  builder. 

Dec.  20,  in  Watervliet,  Francis  Witbeck,  aged  57.  For  many  years 
he  was  foreman  in  the  finishing1  department  of  D.  Simmons  &  Go's  axe 
factory,  and  was  prominent  as  an  active,  public-spirited  citizen.  He 
was  frequently  chosen  to  serve  the  people  in  public  positions. 

Dec.  27,  John  Owens,  aged  49. 

Dec.  29,  Patrick  Reeves,  aged  67. 
1876. 

Jan.  9,  Richard  Clark,  aged  78. 

Jan.  17,  Joseph  Derocher,  Sen.,  aged  75. 

Jan.  21,  John  Bulson,  aged  44. 

Feb.  3,  Charles  Lanagan,  aged  75. 

Feb.  6,  John  Pierson,  aged  56. 

Feb.  12,  Gabriel  Cropsey,  aged  70.  For  many  years  Mr.  Cropsey 
was  one  of  the  leading  manufacturers  of  flour  in  the  place,  having  been 
connected  with  that  interest  in  Cohoes,  and  in  the  immediate  neighbor 
hood,  ever  since  it  assumed  any  importance  as  a  branch  of  our  local 
industries.  He  died  in  Hibernia,  DutchessCo.,  N.  Y. 

Feb.  20,  William  Fogarty,  aged  39. 

Feb.  22,  Dennis  F.  Quillinan,  aged  20. 

Feb.  29,  George  H.  Gregory,  aged  28. 

March  6,  Patrick  Holloran,  aged  65. 

March  22,  Edward  Connaughty,  aged  22. 

March  26,  Joseph  Langlois,  aged  23. 

March  29,  William  Hobart,  aged  70. 

March  30,  Joseph  De  Graff,  aged  60. 

March  31,  William  Ferguson,  aged  23. 

April  6,  Joseph  Archambault,  aged  40. 

April  13,  John  Davis,  aged  77.  Mr.  Davis  had  been  a  resident  of 
Cohoes  twenty-nine  years,  and  was  for  a  long  period  superintendent  of 
the  Cohoes  cemetery. 

April  21,  Edward  Ryan,  aged  58. 

April  22,  Michael  Walsh,  father  of  the  Rev.  John  Walsh,  pastor  of 
St.  John's  church  at  Albany. 

April  25,  Robert  Whittle,  aged  70.  Mr.  Whittle  had  resided  in 
Cohoes  twenty-five  years,  and  although  not  prominently  connected 
with  business  interests,  was  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  the  place. 

April  26,  William  Fleming,  aged  76.  Mr.  Fleming  was  born  in 
Tipperary,  Ireland,  emigrated  to  this  country  forty  years  ago,  and  had 
been  a  resident  of  Cohoes  for  the  past  thirty -five  years. 

May  3,  Michael  Daly,  aged  48. 

May  10,  William  Enos,  aged  40. 

May  13,  William  Murphy,  aged  34. 

May  22,  John  Lally,  aged  21. 

May  27,  Asahel  Carpenter,  aged  69.  Mr.  Carpenter  had  been  a  resi 
dent  of  Cohoes  thirty-four  years,  and  most  of  the  time  was  employed 
in  the  Simmons  axe  factory. 

May  27,  Peter  F.  Daw,  aged  67.  Mr.  Daw  had  been  a  resident  of 
Cohoes  nearly  thirty  years,  and  had  held  a  number  of  public  positions, 
among  them  the  offices  of  justice  of  the  peace,  associate  justice  and 
post-master.  During  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  life  he  was  deputy 
U.  S.  marshal  of  this  district. 


APPENDIX.  293 

June  1st,  Patrick  Keoughan,  aged  45. 

June  3,  Timothy  O'Brien,  aged  27. 

June  8,  Patrick  McCormick,  aged  78. 

June  27,  Dr.  William  Boudrias,  aged  25.  Mr.  Boudrias  was  a  young 
man  of  fine  ability,  and  though  but  fairly  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  had  taken  rank  among  the  foremost  dentists  of  Phila 
delphia,  where  he  had  made  his  residence.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of 
Dr.  Louis  Boudrias  of  this  city. 

June  30,  Aaron  Radcliffe,  aged  55. 

July  1,  John  Wesley  Frink,  aged  50.  Mr.  Frink,  who  had  been  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Alden,  Frink  &  Weston,  was  for  many  years  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  business  men  of  Cohoes.  Besides 
being  largely  interested  in  manufacturing,  while  in  active  business, 
he  at  different  times  occupied  important  positions  in  our  local  go 
vernment. 

July  10,  Thomas  Carter,  son  of  Thomas  C.  Carter,  aged  38. 

July  18,  Thomas  Collier,  aged  68. 

August  13,  Arthur  Monahon,  aged  70. 

August  16,  Thomas  F.  Kelly,  printer,  aged  25. 

August  27,  Henry  J.  Vanderwerken,  aged  69.  He  had  lived  in 
Cohoes  the  greater  part  of  his  life  and  as  an  old  resident,  was  widely 
known. 

Sept.  12,  Justus  Eastwood,  aged  about  45. 

Sept.  20,  John  Englestoff,  aged  32. 

Sept.  21,  Patrick  Ryan,  aged  50. 

Sept.  29,  William  Ryan,  aged  60. 

Oct.  1,  James  Mokler,  aged  42. 

Oct.  8,  Alexis  Girard,  aged  20. 

Oct.  13,  John  Farrell,  aged  55. 

Oct.  22,  William  Schofield,  aged  about  26. 

Oct.  25,  Michael  McGrail,  aged  67. 

Oct.  26,  John  Monogue,  aged  63. 

Nov.  2,  James  Gill,  aged  30. 

Nov.  5,  Thomas  Stanton,  aged  85. 

Nov.  8,  Kossuth  Parker,  aged  24. 

Nov.  9,  Isaac  Jones,  aged  21. 

Nov.  17,  William  Leckie,  aged  57.  Mr.  Leckie  was  born  in  Paisley, 
Scotland,  April  20th,  1819,  and  removed  to  this  country  at  the  age  of 
9.  He  located  at  Williamstown,  Mass.,  and  was  educated  at  the  Len 
nox  Academy.  He  had  been  a  resident  of  Cohoes  thirty-five  years  ; 
was  overseer  in  the  Ogden  Mill  several  years  and  for  a  short  time  was 
principal  in  what  was  known  as  the  Depot  School  of  the  2d  ward.  He 
subsequently  became  connected  with  a  firm  that  operated  the  Halcyon 
Mill  and  was  superintendent  of  that  establishment  when  it  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Messrs.  Kerr  &  Knowlson,  of  Troy.  His  last  business 
engagement  was  in  the  position  of  superintendent  of  the  Clifton  Knit 
ting  Mill  where  he  remained  six  years,  closing  in  1868.  He  was  trustee 
of  the  Cohoes  Savings  Institution  and  had  been  called  upon  to  fill 
various  responsible  positions. 

Nov.  17,  Thomas  McDonough,  aged  53. 

Nov.  18,  Dr.  Thomas  C.  Howes,  aged  53.  Dr.  Howes  removed  from 
Troy  to  Cohoes  in  1872,  and  during  his  residence  here  was  proprietor 
of  the  drug  store  corner  of  Remsen  and  White  streets.  He  was  an  in 
fluential  member  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  church. 

Nov.  27,  William  Williams,  aged  about  70.     He  was  one  of  the 


294  APPENDIX. 

oldest  residents  of  the  first  ward  and  an  employe  of  the  Harmony 
Mills  from  their  establishment. 

Nov.  30,  Killian  F.  Winnie,  aged  72. 

Dec.  4,  Timothy  Atridge,  aged  65. 

Dec.  4,  Alexander  Giard,  aged  30. 

Dec.  4,  Moses  Duquette,  aged  29. 

Dec.  11,  William  Bowler,  aged  25. 

Dec.  15,  James  Hayden,  aged  27. 


APPENDIX.  295 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  VILLAGE  AND  CITY  OF  COHOBS. 

1848-1876. 
VILLAGE  OFFICEKS. 

IKE  following  were  elected  by  ballot,  except  the  president,  who 
was  chosen  by  the  trustees  from  their  number  until  1856. 

1848. 

President. —  Joshua  R.  Clarke. 

Trustees.—  Alfred  Phelps,  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  Geo.  Abbott,  Henry  D. 
Fuller,  Wm.  Burton. 

Assessors. —  Henry  En  Earl,  John  P.  Steenberg,  Wm.  H.  Hollister. 

Treasurer. —  Charles  A.  Olmsted. 

Collector. —  Jno.  B.  Harrison. 

Clerk. —  John  Van  Santvoord. 

Poundmaster. —  Isaac  F.  Fletcher. 

Fire  Wardens.1 —  Jacob   Upham,  Henry  Van  Auken,  John  McQill, 
Wm.  Osterhout,  Abrani  Ostrom. 

1849. 

President. — Henry  D.  Fuller. 

Trustees. —  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  Miles  White,  Alfred  Phelps,  Wm. 
Burton,  Henry  D.  Fuller. 

Assessors. —  Wm.  Dickey,  Bradley  Alexander,  Matthew  Fitzpatrick, 

Treasurer. —  Wm.  H.  Hollister. 

Collector. —  Lawrence  S.  Fonda. 

Clerk. —  John  Van  Santvoord. 

Poundmaster. —  Isaac  F.  Fletcher. 

Fire  Wardens. —  Wm.  Osterhout,  Henry  Van  Auken,  John  McGill. 
Wm.  Orelup,  Jr. 

1850. 

President. —  Henry  D.  Fuller. 

Trustees.—  Henry  En  Earl,  Sr.,  Henry  D.  Fuller,  Wm.  H.  Hollister, 
Wm.  G.  Caw,  Joshua  R.  Clarke. 

Assessors. —  Wm.  Orelup,  Jr.,  Ralph  Buss,  Abram  Ostrom. 

Treasurer. —  Franklin  Waring. 

Collector. —  John  B.  Harrison. 

Clerk. —  John  Van  Santvoord. 

Fire  Wardens.—  Lucien  Fitts,  Henry  Van  Auken,  Wm.  K.  Lighthall, 
John  Orelup. 

1851. 

President.—  Wm.  F.  Carter. 

Trustees. —  Win.  F.  Carter,   Truman  G.  Younglove,  Joseph  A.  Si- 
mons,  John  Hay  Jr.,  Wm.  H.  Hollister. 

Assessors. —  Wm.  Dickey,  Alex.  Frink,  Miles  White. 

Treasurer. —  Henry  L.  Landon. 

Collector. —  John  B.  Harrison. 

Clerk. —  Abram  H.  Van  Arnam. 


» Elected  Sept.  27. 


296  APPENDIX. 

Fire  Wardens, —  Wm.  Osterhout,  John  Doyle,  Geo.  N.  Ferguson, 
Elihu  M.  Stevenson. 

Poundmaster. —  Win.  Welch. 

School  Trustees.—  No.  13,  S.  H.  Foster,  Jacob  Travis;  No.  5,  Wm. 
Burton,  Geo.  W.  Miller  ;  No.  19,  Abram  Lansing,  Wm.  Binns. 

Police  Justice. —  Alfred  Phelps. 

1852. 

President.—  Wm.  F.  Carter. 

Trustees. —  Wm.  F.  Carter,  John  McGill,  Egbert  Egberts,  Lucien 
Fitts,  Jacob  I.  Lansing. 

Assessors. —  Wm.  Orelup  Sr.,  Jeremiah  Clute,  Edw'd  W.  Fuller. 

Treasurer. —  Henry  L.  Laudon. 

Collector. —  Nathan  L.  Benson. 

Clerk. —  Benjamin  Hutchins. 

Fire  Wardens. —  Juo.  Eastwood,  Elihu  M.  Stevenson,  Stephen  Dietz, 
Geo.  Howarth. 

Poundmaster. —  Samuel  Stiles. 

School  Trustees.—  No.  13,  Ralph  Buss ;  No.  5,  T.  C.  Carter,  Jos.  M. 
Brown  ;  No.  19,  Darius  Parkhurst,  Robert  Johnston. 

1853. 

President.—  N.  W.  En  Earl. 

Trustees.—  Nicholas  W.  En  Earl,  Isaac  F.  Fletcher,  Edward  O'Reilly, 
Geo.  Lawrence,  Henry  L.  Landon. 

Assessors. —  Michael  Donovan,  Jno.  P.  Steenberg,  Walter  Witbeck. 

Treasurer. —  Malachi  Weidman. 

Collector. —  Edward  Murray. 

Clerk.—  Geo.  H.  Wager. 

Fire  Wardens. —  Peter  Powers,  John  Larkin,   Peter  Smith,  Alex. 
M'Wha. 

Poundmaster. — 

School  Trustees. —  No.  13,  John  Sullivan ;  No.  5,  John  Van  Ness  ; 
No.  19,  Peter  Van  Der  Cook,  Sr. 

1854. 

President.—  Wm.  F.  Carter. 

Trustees. —  Ralph  Buss,  C.  H.  Adams,  Wm.  Burton,  John  Hender 
son,  Wm.  F.  Carter. 

Assessors. —  Alexander  Frink,  Wm.  Orelup  Sr.,  Stephen  Dodge. 

Treasurer. —  Edward  W.  Fuller. 

Collector — .  Ira  Kilmer. 

Clerk. —  Norton  T.  Raynsford. 

Fire  Wardens. —  Henry  Van  Auken,  Wm.  Dutemple,  Andrew  J. 
Ballard,  E.  G.  Mussey. 

Poundmaster. —  Moses  House. 

School  Trustees.— No.  13,  Jacob  Travis;  No.  5,  Jenks  Brown;  No. 
19,  Elisha  T.  Green. 

1855. 

President. —  Wm.  N.  Chadwick. 

Trustees. —  Henry  S.  Bogue,  Wm.  N.  Chadwick,  Malachi  Weidman, 
Francis  Henderson,  Wm.  Ferrell. 

Assessors. —  Orson  Parkhurst,  Geo.  Lawrence,  Wm.  K.  Lighthall . 
Treasurer. —  Edward  W.  Fuller. 
Collector.—  Stevens  V.  Trull. 


APPENDIX.  297 

Clerk. —  Wm.  Shannon. 

Police  Justice, —  Alex  Frink. 

Fire  Wardens. —  H.  Van  Auken,  Wm.  Dutemple,  Lorenzo  Worden, 
Jolm  Welton. 

Poundmaster. —  Jas.  Delve. 

School  Trustees. —  No.  13,  Leonard  Cary,  Matthew  Fitzpatrick  ; 
No.  5,  Leonard  Van  Derkar,  Geo.  H.  Wager ;  No.  19,  Elbridge  Damon. 

1856. 

President. —  Henry  L.  Landon. 

Trustees.— 1st  Ward:  Wm.  Orelup,  Jr.,  2  years  ;  Elisha  T.  Green, 
1  year ;  2d  Ward  :  John  W.  Frink,  2  years  ;  Francis  Pennock,  1  year  ; 
3d  Ward  :  Walter  Witbeck,2  years  ;  Isaac F.  Fletcher,!  year. 

Chairman  Board  of  Education. —  Truman  G.  Younglove. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  Ward  :  Samuel  H.  Foster,  2  years  ;  David 
Aiken,  1  year  ;  2d  Ward  :  G.  H.  Vermilyea,  2  years ;  Jonathan  Hiller, 
1  year  ;  3d  Ward  :  Jolm  R.  Bullock,  2  years  ;  Jno.  P.  Steenberg,  1  year. 

Assessors. —  Jonas  Simmons,  Alex.  Frink,  Sheffield  Hay  ward. 

Treasurer. —  Isaac  Quackenbush. 

Collector. —  Henry  Lyons. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Wm.  Beeman. 

Poundmaster. —  Jno.  Westover. 

1857. 

Trustees.—  1st  Ward :  Jas.  F.  Crawford.  2d  Ward :  Isaac  Van 
Natten.  3d  Ward :  G.  H.  Wager. 

Treasurer. —  Henry  S.  Bogue. 

Collector. —  John  Van  Ness. 

Assessor. —  Geo.  Lawrence. 

School  Commissioners.— 1st  Ward:  Wm.  C.  Carroll.  2d  Ward: 
John  Little.  3d  Ward  :  Henry  Lyons. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Francis  Keating. 
1858. 

President. —  Henry  L.  Landon. 

Trustees.—  1st  Ward  :  D.  J.  Johnston.  2d  Ward  :  S.  D.  Fairbank. 
3d  Ward  :  Joseph  Chad  wick. 

Assessor. —  Joshua  R.  Clarke. 

Treasurer. —  Francis  Henderson. 

Collector.—  Malachi  Ball. 

Chairman  Board  of  Education. —  Truman  G.  Younglove. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  Ward :  Rob't  Rogerson.  2d  Ward  : 
Jenks  Brown,  3d  Ward  :  John  Van  Der  Mark. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Wm.  Beeman. 

1859. 

Trustees.— 1st  Ward:  Geo.  Lawrence.  2d  Ward:  Wm.  G.  Caw. 
3d  Ward  :  John  Fulton. 

Assessor. —  Almon  C.  Bryant. 

Treasurer. —  Francis  Henderson. 

Collector.—  Malachi  Ball. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  Ward:  G.  H.  Vermilyea.  Zd  Ward: 
J.  V.  S.  Lansing.  3d  Ward :  Geo.  Jackson. 

Police  Justice. —  Peter  D.  Niver. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Win.  Beeman. 

38 


298  APPENDIX. 

I860. 

President. —  Sidney  Alden. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward :  D.  Fitzpatrick.  2d  ward :  P.  Smith.  3d  ward  : 
Walter  Witbeck. 

Assessors. —  Jonas  Simmons,  Robert  Whittle. 

Treasurer. —  Egbert  J.  Wilkins. 

Collector. — Jas.  Waters. 

Chairman  Board  of  Education. —  Geo.  H.  Wager. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward  :  A.  T.  Calkins.  2d  ward :  John 
Van  Ness.  3d  ward :  Jas.  H.  Hasten. 

/Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Edward  McCarthy. 

1861. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward :  Cornelius  Houlihan.  2d  ward :  Wright  Mallery. 
3d!  ward  :  S.  Stiles. 

Assessors. —  Abram  Van  Der  Werken,  Wm.  H.  Hollister. 

Treasurer. — John  Lyons. 

Collector. —  Nathan  L.  Benson. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward:  Wm.  Orel  up,  Jr.  2dward:  Jno. 
V.  S.  Lansing  ;  3d  ward  :  N.  W.  En  Earl. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Daniel  B.  Mclntosh. 

Poundmaster. —  George  Cummings. 

1862. 

President.— Wm.  F.  Carter. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward :  John  Land.  2dward :  C.  H.  Adams.  3d  ward  : 
Benj.  F.  Clarke. 

Assessor. —  Jno.  P.  Steenberg. 

Treasurer. —  Jno.  W.  Frink. 

Collector. —  Edward  Welch. 

Chairman  Board  of  Education. —  James  H.  Masteii. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward  :  Geo.  Dixon.  2d  ward :  David  J. 
Johnston.  3d  ward :  Halsey  H.  Grant. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  D.  B.  M'Intosh. 

Poundmaster. —  Joseph  Simpson. 

1863. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward :  Geo.  Lawrence.  2d  ward  :  Alfred  Rider 
3d  Ward  :  H.  Brockway. 

Assessor. —  Daniel  Simpson. 

Treasurer.—  Walter  Witbeck. 

Collector. —  Thomas  Keefe. 

Police  Justice. —  Harvey  Clute. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward  :  Wm.  S.  Smith.  2d  ward :  Gil 
bert  H.  Vermilyea.  3d  ward :  John  Van  Ness. 

Police  Constables. —  Wm.  Stanton,  Peter  Manton,  M.  Bowler. 

Street  Superintendent. —  Jas.  Hay. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Patrick  Sheridan. 

1864. 

President.—  Geo.  H.  Wager. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward  :  John  Fulton.  2d  ward :  T.  R.  Howard.  8d 
ward  :  Sherebiah  Stiles. 

Assessor. —  John  Brady. 


APPENDIX.  299 

Treasurer. —  Walter  Witbeck. 

Collector. —  Michael  Keeden. 

Chairman  Board  of  Education. —  Samuel  H.  Foster. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward:  Reuben  S.  Calkins.    2d  ward: 
Spencer  Frink.     3d  ward  :  Halsey  R.  Grant. 

Constables. —  Wm.  Stanton,  Peter  Manton,  Patrick  H.  Kelly. 

/Street  Superintendent. —  Michael  Long. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Thos.  Nagle. 

Poundmaster.  —  Jno.  Cavanaugh. 
1865. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward :  S.  G.  Root.     2d  ward :  Wm.  H.  Stevenson. 
T.  P.  Hildreth  (to  fill  vacancy).     3d  ward  :  Henry  Brockway. 

Assessors. —  John  Baker,  Jno.  McMullen. 

Treasurer. —  John  W.  Frink. 

Collector. —  Thomas  Gaifney. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward  :  Wm.  S.  Smith.     2d  ward  :  J.  W. 
Moore.     3d  ward  :  Norris  North. 

Constables. —  Jas.  Clark,  Peter  Manton,  Chas.  Muldowney. 

Street  Sup't.—  Wm.  Smead. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Richard  Clark. 

Poundmaster. — Nicholas  D.  Lounsberry. 

1866. 

President. —  Murray  Hubbard. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward :  Lewis  W.  Land.  2d  ward  :  Daniel  Mclntosh. 
3d  icard :  Daniel  Wilder. 

Assessor. —  Geo.  Lawrence. 

Treasurer. —  John  Wakeman. 

Collector. —  Robert  Frost. 

Chairman  Board  of  Education. —  Samuel  H.  Foster. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward  :  D.  J.  Johnston.    2d  ward  :  R. 
S.  Calkins.     3d  ward  :  H.  R.  Grant. 

Constables. —  Pat'k  Thornton,  Garret  Robbins,  Chas.  Muldowney. 

Street  Sup't.— John  Foley. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Martin  Garrigan. 

Poundmaster. —  John  Rossiter. 

1867. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward  :  John  F.  Simpson.     2d  ward  :  Alfred  LeRoy. 
3d  ward  :  Jas.  Lamb. 

Assessor. —  Sheffield  Hay  ward. 

Treasurer. —  Gilbert  H.  Vermilyea. 

Collector. —  Edward  Brennan. 

Police  Justice. —  Harvey  Clute. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward  :  Jno.  S.  Crane.     2d  ward  :  M.  S. 
Younglove.     3d  ward :  Jno.  M.  Spencer. 

Street  Sup't. —  John  Drysdale. 

Constables. —  Robert  Frost,  John  McCullick,  Moses  House. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Patrick  McGrath. 

Poundmaster. —  John  Rossiter. 

1868. 

President. —  Augustus  Ellmaker. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward  :  Wm.  Stanton.    2d  ward :  Wm.  Warner.    3d 
ward  :  Edwin  Hitchcock. 


800  APPENDIX. 

Assessor. —  Guy  Blakeley. 
Treasurer. —  Geo.  H.  Wager. 
Collector.—  Geo.  Van  Der  Cook. 
Chairman  Board  of  Education. —  Samuel  H.  Foster. 
School   Commissioners. —  1st  ward:    Daniel   Simpson.     2d  ward: 
Clias.  Rogers.     3d  ward  :  Harvey  Ferris. 

Constables. —  John  O'Brien,  John  Long,  Henry  Morrison. 
Street  Sup't. —  Andrew  Cox. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Patrick  McGrath. 
Poundmaster. —  John  Rossiter. 

1869. 

Trustees. —  1st  ward  :  John  S.  Crane.  2d  ward  :  Wm.  S.  Smith. 
3d  ward  :  Jas.  B.  McKee. 

Assessor. —  Anthony  Russell. 

Treasurer. —  Geo.  H.  Wager. 

Collector. —  Thomas  Nolan. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward:  Jas.  E.  Place.  2d  ward:  T.  P. 
Hildreth.  3d  ward:  Wm.  C.  Travis. 

Constables. —  Jas.  O'Brien,  Peter  McAvinia,  Michael  Bowler. 

Street  Sup't. —  Peter  Powers. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Patrick  McGrath. 

During  the  years  when  the  street  superintendent,  village  clerk  and 
police  constables  were  appointed  by  the  trustees,  those  officers  were 
as  follows  : 

Street  Superintendents. 

1849,  Frederick  W.  Upham.  1856,  1857,  Samuel  Steenberg. 

1850,  Elbridge  G.  Mussey.  1858,  Leonard  Van  Der  Kar. 

1851,  Lewis  Wells.  1859,  R.  G.  Smith. 

1852,  Adam  Van  Der  Werken.         1860,  John  Doyle. 

1853,  Daniel  Nugent.  1861,  Francis  Keating. 

1854,  Adam  Van  Der  Werken.         1862,  Jas.  Hay. 

1855,  Chas.  T.  Carter. 

Clerks. 

1856,  D.  S.  Ostrom.  1861,  Wm.  Shannon. 

1857,  '58,  '59,  P.  B.  Ferguson.          1862,  '63,  Wm.  H.  Stevenson. 
1860,  Michael  Monahon.  1864-1870,  Malachi  Ball. ' 

Police  Constables. 

1849,  Alexander  Frink.  1856, '57/58,  Peter  Van  Der  Cook,  Jr. 

1850,  51,  John  M.  Brownson.  1859,  '60,  Hugh  O'Hare. 

1852,  Joseph  M.  Brown.  1861,  Michael  Long,  Hugh  O'Hare, 

1853,  Justus  Eastwood.  Wm.  Stanton,  Richard  Hurst. 

1854,  Abner  Deyo.  1862,  Jas.   T.   Hemphill,  Peter  F. 

1855,  Frederick  S.  Uhl.  Daw,  Daniel  E.  M'Intosh. 

Chief  Engineer  of  Fire  Department. 
1852-1876. 

1852,  Joshua  R.  Clarke.  1856,  Joseph  Gould,  Jr. 

1853,  Wm.  Osterhout.  1857,  John  Eastwood. 

1854,  Henry  D.  Fuller.  1858,  Herbert  Hastings. 

1855,  Wm.  Burton  (resigned).          1859,  Thos.  V.  Brown. 


Mr.  Ball  held  the  position  of  city  clerk  till  June,  1871. 


APPENDIX.  301 

1860,  Malachi  Ball.  1870,  '71,  Jas.  Coleman. 

1861,  '62,  H.  B.  Silliman.  1872,  Miller  Hay. 

1863,  Timothy  Atridge,  Jr.  1873,  Richard  Powers. 

1864,  '65,  Peter  Manton.  1874,  Miller  Hay. 

1866,  Daniel  M'lntosh.  1875,  James  Cavenagh. 

1867,  Joseph  C.  Dodge.  1876,  Martin  Redmond. 

1868,  '69,  Michael  Redmond. 

Water  Commissioners. 
1856-1876. 

1856. 

Chas.  H.  Adams.  )  ft          s    Alfred  Wild.         )    0 

Truman  G.  Younglove.  f  °  ye£    Jl  Wm.  F.  Carter.    \  *  year8' 
Joshua  Bailey.         \    A 
Henry  D.  Fuller.     \  *  years' 

1858. 
Jas.  F.  Crawford.  John  W.  Frink. 

1860. 
Wm.  Burton.  Henry  D.  Fuller. 

1862. 
Sherebiah  Stiles.     '  Daniel  M 'El  wain. 

1864. 

Wm.  G.  Caw.1  John  Land. 

A.  M.  Harmon  (to  fill  vacancy). 

1866. 

James  H.  Masten.Q  Cornelias  Houlihan. 

1868. 
Win.  E.  Thorn.  Jas.  Lamb. 

1870. 

John  Clute.  A.  M.  Harmon  (to  fill  vacancy). 

Henry  Brockway. 

1873. 
Jacob  Travis. 

CITY  OFFICERS. 
(Elected.) 

1870. 

Mayor. —  Chas.  H.  Adams. 

Justice  of  the  Peace. —  Joseph  Le  Boeuf. 

Poormaster. —  Jno.  H.  Ring. 

Assessors. —  T.  Moore,  3  years.  J.  O'Neil,  2  years.  0.  Garrahan,  1 
year. 

Supervisors. —  1st  ward:  Joseph  Coleman.  2d  ward:  Wm.  T. 
Dodge.  3d  ward :  John  Scully.  4th  ward  :  Solomon  Dotter. 

Aldermen. —  1st  ward  :  D.  J.  Johnston,  2  years.  E.  W.  Lansing,  1 
year.  2d  ward  :  Geo.  Campbell,  2  years.  M.  S.  Younglove,  1  year. 
'3d  ward  :  B.  Mulcahy,  2  years.  Walter  Witbeck,  1  year.  4th  ward  : 
C.  F.  North,  2  years.  C.  Hay,  1  year. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward:  Frank  C.  Reavy,  2  years. 
Daniel  Simpson,  1  year.  2d  ward :  Wm.  Burton,  2  years.  E.  N . 


i  Died. 
9  Resigned. 


302  APPENDIX. 

Page,  1  year.     3d  ward  :  A.  M.  Harmon,  2  years.    J.  Killer,  1  year.  4th 
ward :  W.  C.  Travis,  2  years.     W.  S.  Crane,  1  year. 

Constables. —  1st  ward:  Chas.  Wilcox.  2d  ward:  J.  M'Culloch. 
3d  ward  :  M.  M'Guire.  4th  ward :  Robt.  P.  Jones. 

Inspectors  of  Election. —  \st  ward:  Matthew  Keough,  Richard 
Nagle.  2d  ward  :  Rodney  Wilcox,  S.  W.  Lovejoy.  3d  ward :  Jno. 
Fitzpatrick,  Jno.  B.  Latta.  4th  ward :  J.  Brown,  P.  Nagle. 

Police  Commissioners. —  (Elected  Nov.  8.)  Geo.  Z.  Dockstader,  Wm. 
Bamerick. 

(By  appointment.) 

Excise  Commissioners. —  Henry  D.  Fuller,  Edwin  Hitchcock,  Geo. 
H.  Wager. 

Street  Superintendent. —  Norris  North. 

Supt.  of  Cemetery. —  Daniel  Manning. 

Chamberlain. —  Leonard  Gary. 

City  Physician.—  C.  E.  Witbeck. 

Trustee  of  Sinking  Fund  of  Water  Loan. —  H.  B.  Silliman. 

Poundmaster. —  Alexander  Brown. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Chas.  Egan. 

Fire  Wardens. —  Wm.  Clough,  Wm.  Doty,  E.  S.  Gregory,  Richard 
Shannon. 

1871. 
(Elected.) 

Recorder. —  James  F.  Kelly. 

Overseer  of  Poor. —  John  H.  Ring. 

Assessor. —  Roger  M'Garry. 

Supervisors. —  1st  ward  .  Joseph  Coleman.  2d  ward  :  Wm.  T. 
Dodge.  3d  ward  :  John  Scully.  4th  ward  :  Solomon  Dotter. 

Aldermen. —  1st  ward  :  Cornelius  Horan.  2d  ward  :  David  Morris. 
3d  ward  :  Jas.  B.  M'Kee.  4th  ward  :  Alfred  Le  Roy. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward:  Daniel  F.  Simpson.  2d  icard  : 
Edward  N.  Page.  3d  ward :  Geo.  Ducharme,  2  years.  Edward 
Keeler,  1  year.  4th  ward  :  Wm.  Benedict. 

Constables. —  1st  ward:  Terrence  Reeves.  2d  ward:  John  M'Cul- 
loch.  3d  ward  :  Michael  M'Guire.  4th  ward  :  Robt.  P.  Jones. 

Inspectors  of  Election. —  1st  ward:  Wm.   Stanton,  F.    C.  Reavy, 
Absalom   Sharp.     2d  ward:  S.   W.   Lovejoy,   A.   K.   Dixon,  Martin 
Brennan.     3d  ward :  Thos.  Slavin,   T.    A.  Murphey,  Thos.  Gleason. 
4th  ward :  Wm.  C.  Travis,  Jno.  P.  Webber,  Francis  Keegan. 
(By  appointment.) 

Excise  Commissioner. —  Wm.  Whitehill  (to  fill  vacancy). 

Street  Superintendent. —  Norris  North. 

Supt.  of  Cemetery. —  Amos  T.  Calkins.       • 

Health  Officer. —  Chas.  E.  WTitbeck. 

Poundmaster. —  Thos.  Larkins. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Abraham  N.  Poole. 

City  Clerk. —  I.  W.  Lansing. 

1872. 
(Elected.) 

Mayor. —  David  J.  Johnston. 

Assessor. —  Alexander  Frink. 

Police  Commissioner. —  Amos.  T.  Calkins. 

Supervisors. —  1st  ward :  Michael  Sherlock.  2d  ward  :  Wm.  T. 
Dodge.  3d  ward :  Jas.  M'Guirk.  4th  ward  :  Wm.  NelHgan. 


APPENDIX.  303 

Aldermen. —  1st  ward  :  John  W.  Howarth.  2d  ward:  Geo.  Camp 
bell.  3d  ward  :  John  E.  Land,  kill  ward  :  Wm.  C.  Travis. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward  :  Frank  C.  Reavy.  2d  ward  :  Geo. 
T.  Carter.  3d  ward  :  Sherebiah  Stiles,  2  years.  Wm.  S.  Gilbert,  1 
year.  4th  ward  :  Edward  S.  Carpenter. 

Constables. —  1st  ward  :  James  Burns.  2d  ward :  Chas.  Egan.  3d 
ward  :  Michael  M'Guire.  4th  ward  :  Robert  P.  Jones. 

Inspectors  of  Election. —  1st  ward  :  Michael  Cummins.  Patk.  Eng 
lish,  Thos.  Smith.  2d  ward  :  A.  K.  Dixon,  J.  H.  Egan,  P.  H.  Ross. 
3d  ward  :  Thomas  Slavin,  John  Quinan  4th  ward  :  Chas.  S.  Travis, 
Jas.  H.  Masten,  Michael  Travis. 

(By  appointment.) 

Street  Superintendent. —  Benj.  Coveny. 

Supt.  of  Cemetery. —  John  Van  Deusen. 

Chamberlain.—  Leonard  Gary. 

Health  Officer.—  Chas.  E.  Witbeck. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. — John  Moulthrop. 

Fire  Wardens. —  Absalom  Sharp,  Alexander  Arthur,  John  Horrocks, 
Timothy  Atridge,  Jr. 

City  Clerk.—  John  H.  Egan. 

City  Attorney. —  S.  W.  Lovejoy. 

City  Engineer. —  John  W.  Ford. 

Overseer  of  Poor. —  Thos.  Newby. 

1873. 
(Elected.) 

Assessor. —  Edward  Heffern. 

Supervisors. —  1st  ward:  Silas  Owen.  2d  icard  :  Geo.  E.  Simmons. 
3d  ward :  Jas.  M'Guirk.  4th  ward :  C.  Van  Der  Cook. 

Aldermen. —  \stward:  Michael  Noonan.  2d  ward  :  David  Morris. 
3d  ward :  Thos.  Nolan.  4.th  icard  :  Alfred  Le  Roy. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward :  Jas.  D.  Featherstonhaugh.  2d 
ward:  James  A.  Stimsou.  3d  ward:  Jonathan  Hiller.  4th  ward: 
Wm.  R,  Benedict. 

Constables. —  1st  ward  :  John  Coleman.  2d  ward  :  Alfred  Brault. 
3d  ward  :  John  H.  Condley.  4th  ward  :  Robt.  P.  Jones. 

Inspectors  of  Election. —  1st  ward  :  Michael  Cummins,  Edward  Barret, 
D.  Munro.     2d  ward :  A.  K.  Dixon,  W.  F.    Jones,  P.    H.  Ross.     3d 
ward  :  Michael  Sheelian,  John  Scully,  T.    A.    Murphey.     4th  ward  : 
Jas.  H.  Masten,  P.  E.  Marshall,  P.  D.  Niver. 
(By  appointment.) 

Excise  Commissioners. —  Joshua  R.  Clarke,  Henry  D.  Fuller,  Geo. 
Higgins. 

Street  Superintendent. —  James  Hay. 

Supt.  of  Cemetery. —  Dennis  Daley. 

Health  Officer.—  Geo.  H.  Billings. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  John  Moulthrop. 

Poundmaster. —  Abram  H.  Fonda. 

Fire  Wardens.—  Henry  Humphreys,  Nelson  White,  Alex.  Brown, 
Frank  Fonda. 

City  Clerk.—  John  H.  Egan 

City  Attorney. —  S.  W.  Lovejoy. 

City  Engineer. —  John  W.  Ford. 

Overseer  of  Poor. —  Thos.  Newby. 


304  APPENDIX. 

1874. 
(Elected.) 

Mayor. —  Henry  S.  Bogue. 

Police  Commissioner. —  John  Slavin. 

Justices  of  the  Peace. —  Michael  Redmond,  Jas.  B.  Sweeney. 

Assessor. —  John  Quirk. 

Supervisors. —  1st  ward:  Thos.  O'Dea.  2dward:  Geo.  E.  Simmons. 
'3d  ward  :  Jas.  M'Guirk.  4th  ward:  Maurice  Fitzgerald. 

Aldermen.  —  1st  ward:  Wm.  Stanton.  2d  ward:  Jno.  V.  S.  Lan 
sing.  3d  ward :  John  Scott.  4th  ward :  Philip  E.  Marshall. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  ward :  Michael  M'Garrahan.  2dward : 
Geo.  H.  Graves.  3d  ward:  Jas.  B.  M'Kee.  4th  ward:  John  S.  Crane. 

Constables. —  1st  ward :  John  Coleman.  2d  ward  :  Henry  Shepard. 
3d  ward :  John  H.  Condley.  4tth  ward :  Michael  J.  Burke. 

Inspectors  of  Election. —  \stward:  Michael  Meagher,  Amos  Crapo, 
Edwin  Clough.  2d  ward :  W.  F.  Jones,  D.  M.  Adams,  Abram  Van 
Der  Werken.  3d  ward  :  Jas.  Hayden,  Bernard  Acheson,  Myron  Van 
Benthuysen.  4th  ward :  Thos.  H.  Kelly,  Edgar  H.  Stiles,  Jas.  fl. 
Masten. 

(By  appointment.) 

Chamberlain. —  Chas.  F.  North. 

Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Bernard  Ryan. 

City  Attorney. —  Peter  D.  Niver. 

City  Engineer. —  John  W.  Ford. 

Overseer  of  Poor. —  Michael  Breen. 

1875. 
(Elected.) 

Assessor. — James  Rabbit. 

Supervisors. —  1st  ward  :  Thomas  O'Dea.  2d  ward :  Frank  Brown, 
Jr.  3d  icard  :  Thomas  Golden.  4th  ward :  Solomon  Dotter. 

Aldermen. —  1st  ward:  Silas  Owen.  2d  ward:  Nathan  Shaver. 
3d  ward  :  Thomas  Nolan.  4th  ward :  Thomas  Ryan. 

School  Commissioners. —  1st  wa:d:  Jas.  Doherty.  2d  ward:  Geo. 
T.  Carter.  3d  ward:  Matthew  Fitzpatrick.  4th  ward;  Malachi  Ball. 

Constables. —  1st  ward  :  Patrick  Hanly.  2d  ward  :  John  Hay.  3d 
ward  :  John  H.  Condley.  4th  ward :  Edward  Kenney. 

Inspectors  of  Election. —  1st  ward  :  Edward  J.  M'Alear,  M.  Meagher, 
Jno.  H.  Graves.     2d  ward  :  Jas.  Van  Benthuysen,  A.  K.  Dixon,  Hugh 
Cahill.     3d  ward  :  Thos.  Scott,  Michael   Sheehan,  Chas.  D.  Gilman. 
4th  ward  :  Geo.  Whitney,  Francis  Keegan,  Wesley  Miller. 
(By  appointment.) 

Excise  Commissioner. —  Daniel  M'Intosh  (to  fill  vacancy). 

Fire  Warden. —  Henry  C.  Hibbard  (to  fill  vacancy). 

1876. 
(Elected.) 

Mayor. —  David  J.  Johnston. 

Police  Commissioner. —  Edwin  Hitchcock. 

Assessor. —  Timothy  Moore. 

Supervisors. —  1st  ward  :  Thos.  Murphy.  2d  ward  :  Frank  Brown, 
Jr.  3d  ward  :  Thos.  Golden.  4th  ward  :  Joseph  Stewart.  5th  ward  : 
Geo.  E.  Simmons. 

Aldermen. —  1st  ward  :  Eugene  Conway.  2d  ward  :  Jno.  V.  S. 
Lansing.  3d  ward  :  Daniel  E.  M'Intosh.  4th  ward :  Philip  E.  Mar- 


APPENDIX.  305 

shall.     5t7i  ward  :  Daniel  M'Elwain,  1  year,  Michael  English,  2  years. 

ScJiool  Commissioners. —  1st  ward:  Patrick  J.  M'Kee.  2d  ward: 
Theodore  W.  Pease.  3d  ward  :  Edward  Monk,  kth  ward  :  Geo.  Van 
Der  Cook.  5th  ward  :  Peter  Murray,  1  year,  Geo.  C.  Daley,  2  years. 

Constables. —  1st  ward:  John  Coleman.  2d  ward:  Lees  Wrigley. 
3d  ward  :  John  Crowley.  4£ h  ward  :  Henry  R.  Dickey.  5th  ward  : 
John  Doran. 

Inspectors  of  Election. —  1st  ward:  Jas.  Deecher,  Edward  Ward, 
Frank  Simpson.  2d  ward  :  Burton  W.  Crandall,  John  McEwan,  R. 
J.  Powers.  3d  ward :  Thomas  Scott,  Louis  G.  LeBoeuf,  Charles  D. 
Gilman.  4th  ward  :  Wm.  C.  Demarest,  Wesley  Miller,  Bernard  Linnen. 
5th  ward :  Edmund  Barret,  John  Kennedy,  John  Cooley. 
(By  appointment.) 

Excise  Commissioners. —  Wm.  Whitehill,  Chas.  S.  Longley,  John 
Carter. 

Street  Superintendent. —  James  Hay. 

Health  Officer.—  Geo.  H.  Billings. 

Poundmaster. —  Abram  H.  Fonda. 

/Sealer  of  Weights  and  Measures. —  Bernard  Ryan. 

Fire  Wardens. —  Harry  Hibbard,  Nelson  White,  Alex.  Brown,  Frank 
Fonda. 

City  Clerk.—  John  H.  Egan. 

City  Attorney. —  Peter  D.  Niver. 

City  Engineer. —  John  W.  Ford. 

Overseer  of  Poor. —  Michael  Breen. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  LEGISLATURE  FROM  COHOES. 

Assembly. 

1858,  Charles  H.  Adams.  1869,  70,  John  Tighe. 

1866,  James  F.  Crawford.  1875,  Alfred  Le  Roy. 

Senate. 

1872,  Charles  H.  Adams. 

MEMBER  OF  CONGRESS. 

1873,  Charles  H.  Adams. 


39 


INDEX. 


Abbey,  Chas.E.,  160. 

Abbey,  Wm  ,  161. 

Abbott,  Geo.  L,  88,  91,  260,  274,  295. 

Abel,  James,  270. 

Aberhart,  John,  161. 

Ablett,  James  W.,  160. 
Ablett,  Wm.  H.,  160. 

Achesou,  Bernard,  304. 

Acheson,  James,  159. 

Acheson,  John,  161. 

Acheson,  Wm.,  136,  155,  217,  225,  262. 

Ackley,  Oscar  L.,  161,  276. 

Adams,  A.  W.,  250. 

Adams,  C.  H.,  78,  110,  115,  119,  129,  130, 
134,  136,  140,  148,  159,  175,  178,  193, 
194,  201,  208,  249,  271,  296,  298,  301, 
305. 

Adams,  Cortland,  161. 

Adams's  Block,  built,  199. 

Adams's  Mill,  132,  175,  244. 

Adams,  Daniel  M.,  16U,  263,  304. 

Adams,  Geo.  M.,  160. 

Adams,  Henry,  271. 

Adams,  James,  38. 

Adams,  Hev.  James,  252. 

Adams  Steamer  Co.,  194,  259. 

Adams  Steamer,  229  ;  horses  for,  215. 

Adams,  Stephen  H.,  110. 

Adams,  Wm.  L.,  23,  29,  234. 

Adams'  Zouaves,  232,  262. 

Adams's  Island.  See  Van  SchaicTc's  Is 
land. 

Agim.  John,  161. 

Aiken,  David,  297. 

Aiken,  W.  H.,  261. 

Aitkin,  James,  260,  263. 

Alaska  Knitting  Co.,  198. 

Albany  Pin  Co., 127,  142. 

Albany  water  supply,  129. 

Alcombrack  family,  45. 

Alcombrack,  Jacob,  161. 

Alden  &  Frink,  153. 

Aid  n,  Frink  &  Biugham,  131,  132,  134, 
174. 

Alden,  Frink  &  Weston,  175,  176,  190, 
191. 

Albion,  James,  160. 

Alden,  Sidney,  85,  131, 132,  141, 148,  298. 

AldeuHoseCo.,  259. 

Alexander,  Andrew,  88. 

Alexander,  Benj.  M.,  287. 

Alexander,  Bradley,  295. 

Allen,  Campbell,  113. 

Allen,  Lester,  116. 

Allen,  Rev.  Mr.,  253. 

Alrny,  Joseph.  Jr.,  141,  286. 

Alston,  William,  160. 


American  Hosiery  Mill.  See  Smith, 
Gregory  &  Co.,  Gregory  &  Hitter. 

Andrae,  Michael,  161,  263. 

Andrews,  Captain,  54,  58. 

Anthony,  Israel,  40,  54. 

Anthony,  Jacob,  69. 

Archer,  G.  K.,  137. 

Ardron,  Richard,  290. 

Archambault,  Joseph,  292. 

Armitage,  Rev.  Thos.,  253. 

Arnold,  Collins,  206,  247. 

Arnold,  Jonathan  D.,  160. 

Artesian  well,  211. 

Arthur,  Alex.,  303. 

Arthur,  Wm.  Jr.,  141,  160. 

Ashdown,  Arthur,  161. 

Ashworth,  Henry,  283. 

Assemblymen,  from  Cohoes,  305. 

Atheson,  Jos.,  282. 

Atkinson.  John  H.,  203,  228. 

Atlantic  Mill,  192,  212,  244. 

Atridge,  Thomas  C.,  16. 

Atridge,  Timothy,  294. 

Atridge,  Timothy,  Jr.,  301,  303. 

Attorney  of  city,  227,  230. 

Atwood,  Joseph,  281. 

Augsburg,  David,  160. 

Authier  Bros.,  228,  249. 

Auringer,  Isaac,  155. 

Austin,  Geo.,  161. 

Axe  factories,  production  of,  1847,  87 ; 
enlarged,  115;  statistics  of,  1876, 
245. 

Axe  factory,  119,  120,  128,  146,  175,  176, 
207 ;  burned,  222,  227,  228 ;  estab 
lished,  64,  76,  235. 

Ayres,  Alexis,  83,  99. 

Ayres,  Edward,  280. 

Ayres,  Isaac  D.,  98,  99,  287. 

Babcock,  Rev.  Theodore,  252. 

Badgley,  Philip,  268. 

Bagley,  William,  161. 

Bailey,  Gustavus,  181. 

Bailey,  Joshua,  61,  62,  63,  72,  113,   115, 

119,  120,  127,  128,  129,  134,  148,  161, 

290,  301. 

Bailey,  Joshua,  Sen.,  2.70. 
Bailey  M'fg  Co.,  115,  119. 
Bailey,  Milton,  271. 
Bailey,  Timothy,  61,  62,  63,  72,  78,  80, 

87,  104,  132. 
Baker,  A.  S.,  248. 
Baker,  Chas.  H.,  161. 
Baker,  John,  53,  65,  82, 120, 137,  142, 299. 
Baker,  John  A.,  161. 
Baldwin,  Samuel,  53,  57,  82. 


308 


INDEX. 


Baldwin  &  Baker,  82. 

Ball,  Daniel,  275. 

Ball,  Jerome,  161. 

Ball,  Malacbi,  98,  114,  156,  195,  297,  300, 

304. 

Ballard,  A.  J.,  296. 
Ballard,  John,  194. 
Ballard,  Joseph  E.,  285. 
Ballentyne,  Wm.,  285. 
Bank  of  Cohoes,  140,  249. 
Bank,  The  Manufacturers1,  established, 

209. 

Bannon,  James,  161. 
Baptist  church,  damaged,  229  ;  enlarged, 

213  ;  history  of,  252 ;  organized,  72 ; 

built,  93;   parsonage    of,   199;    re 
built,  115,  116. 

Baptist  German  church,  254. 
Barber,  C.  P.,  128,  132. 
Barber,  Rev.  C.,  253. 
Barber  &  Leckie,  128. 
Barclay,  James,  272. 
Barclay,  Thos.,  288. 
Barker,  Calvin,  38,50. 
Barlow,  Samuel,  161. 
Bamerick.  Wm.,  302. 
Bartlett,  Ebenezer,  72. 
Barrett,  Edward,  303,  305. 
Barrett,  Edward  S.,  162. 
Barrett,  John,  162. 
Barrett,  Wm.  B.,  98. 
Barrie,  James,  260. 
Barter,  James,  259. 
Barton,  Robert,  291. 
Base-ball  club,  141. 
Basin,  A.,  76  ;  constructed,  58,  63  ;  B., 

constructed,  58. 
Bassett,  Rev.  J.,  33. 
Bat  factory  burned,  105,  222. 
Battin,  J.,  119. 
Baxter,  Wm.,  120. 
Bayard,  Augustus  Willard,  161. 
Bayard,  Wm.  H.,  282. 
Beach,  Josiah  H.,  72. 
Bean,  Wm.,  248. 
Beaver,  Lawrence,  162. 
Becker,  Arthur  T.,  127, 141,  175,  194. 
Becker,  S.  A.,  64,  145,  148,  157,  245. 
Bedell,  Moses,  122. 
Bedford,  Henry,  156. 
Bedstead  factory,  75,  80,  87,  93,  120, 124, 

137,  142,  246. 
Beecher  family,  43. 
Beeman,  Wm.,  297. 
Bell,  Alexander,  280. 
Belville,  John,  290. 
Bemis,  Luke,  81.  88,  91,  92,  97,  100. 
Bender,  C.  W.,  127. 
Benedict,  Rev.  T.,  253. 
Benedict,  Wm.    It.,   139,  156,  264,  302, 

303. 

Bennett,  John,  161. 
Bennett,  Lyman,  190. 
Bennett,  Napoleon,  161. 
Benson,  Chas.  L.,  283. 
Benson,  Ebenezer,  284. 
Benson,  Egbert  C.,  161. 
Benson,  Nathan  L.,  296,  298. 
Bentley,  A.  C.,  69. 
Bentley,  Chas.,  161. 
Benton,  Buckley  T.,  212. 


Bezner,  Herman,  204,  218,  224. 

Bilbrough,  Samuel,  120,  190,244. 

Bilbrough,  Sam'l  &  Dubuque,  223. 

Billings,  Dr.  Geo.  H.,  141,  260,  303,  305. 

Billings,  H.  C.,  92,  104. 

Bills  &  Sage,  147. 

Bindewald,  William,  291. 

Bingham,  Rev.  A.  J.,  159,  253,  257,  281. 

Bingham,  Willard,  131. 

Binns,  Wm.,  296. 

Birdseye,  Chas.  C.,  241. 

Biscornette,  John,  155. 

Biscornette,  Jos.,  284. 

Bisschof,  Jacob,  155. 

Black.  G.  G.,  261. 

Blair,  Frederick,  161. 

Blair,  John,  133. 

Blake,  Dr.,  274. 

Blake  &  Sons,  146. 

Blakely,  Chas.  II.,  271. 

Blakely.  Guv,  288,  300. 

Blakely,  W.'L,  156. 

Blanchard,  Rev.  Hiram,  254. 

Blinn,  Rev.  H.  G.,  253. 

Blower,  Joshua,  52. 

Blum,  William  H.,  161. 

Board  of  Health,  appointed,  104. 

Boai  d  of  Trade,  proposed,  217. 

Boat  Club,  Cohoes,  264. 

Bobbin  factory,  120,  128,  137,  142. 

Bogardns,  Rev.  C.,  33. 

Boght,  the,  15,  17 ;  church,  32,   33,  39 ; 

road,  225.    See  also  Manor  avenue. 
Bogue,  li.   S.,  122,  142,   143,   148,    178, 

182,  190,  208,  216,  226,  296,  297,  304. 
Boley,  Thomas,  268. 
Bonce,  John  G.,  49,  121. 
Bonding  the  city,  225. 
Boomhower,  Edward,  156. 
Booth,  Joseph,  155. 
Bordwell,  Allen,  276. 
Bortell,  H.,  144. 
Bortcll,  Wm.  H.,107. 
Boss,  Chas.,  161. 
Bolton,  Richard,  255. 
Bouchard,  Frank,  162. 
Boucher,  Geo.,  161. 
Boudrias,  Dr.  Louis,  263,  293. 
Boudrias,  Dr.  William,  293. 
Boulevard  bill,  208. 
Bowler,  Michael,  298,  300. 
Bowler,  Robert,  156. 
Bowler,  William,  294. 
Bradford,  Geo.  S.,  78. 
Kradley,  Wm.  J.,  188. 
Bradshaw,  Geo.,  161. 
Brady,  John,  298. 
Brnult,  Alfred,  303. 
Bray,  Geo., 43. 
Bray,  Joseph,  161. 
Bray,  William,  161. 
Breen,  Michael,  304,  305. 
Brennan,  Dennis,  161. 
Brennan,  Edward,  280,  299. 
Brennan,  Martin,  302. 
Brennan,  Michael,  291. 
Brewery,  built,  173. 
Bricks,  first  made,  61  ;    manufacture, 

247. 
Bridge  on  Johnston  ave.,  236  ;  at  White 

street,  191;    to   Lansiiigburg,  234; 


INDEX. 


309 


Bridge,  to  Van  Schaick's  Island,  210, 
234;  Waterford,  completed,  210;  to 
Waterford,  39,  45;  the  first  built, 
33 ;  described,  34 ;  laws  concerning, 
35,  36;  burned,  207;  rebuilt,  49,  121, 
122. 

Bridges,  repairs  of,  108,  109. 
Bridgeford.  John,  182. 
Brierly,  John,  161,  275. 
Brigamuel,  Fred.,  156. 
Briggs,  R.T..82. 
Brigham,  driven  S.,  96. 
Brockway,  Geo.  E.,  161. 
Brockway,  Henry,  143, 148, 159,  178, 194, 

*17,231,244,29S,299,301. 
Brodt,  Wesley,  161,  275. 
Bronk,  Rev.  Robt.,  33. 
Brooks,  Geo.,  192. 
Brooks,  Henry,  272. 
Brooks,  Jno.  W.,262. 
Brooks,  Thomas,  192,  272. 
Brooks,  William,  161,  271. 
Brooks,  Wm.  R.,  255. 
Brower,  Geo.,  161. 
Brown,  Albert  M.,  156,  161. 
Brown,  Alex.,  302,  303,  305. 
Brown,  Frank,  304. 
Brown,  Henry,  114. 
Brown,  J.,  302. 
Brown,  Jns.,  128,  288. 
Brown,  Jcnks,   128,  135,   140,   146,  273, 

296,  297. 

Brown,  John,  70. 
Brown,  Jno.  Crosby,  241. 
Brown,  Joseph  M.,  93,  98,  106,  110,  113, 

296,  300. 

Brown,  Peter  A.,  161,289. 
Brown,  Rev.  J.  H.  H.,  188,  205,  228,  252. 
Brown,  Rev.  W.  R.,  253. 
Brown,  Thomas,  271. 
Brown,  Thos.  V..  300. 
Browne,  Andrew  M.,  263. 
Brownson,  Jno.  M.,  88,  90,  300. 
Bryan,  Hugh,  161. 
Bryan,  John,  155. 
Bryant,  A.  C.,273,  297. 
Buckley,  Edward,  263. 
Buckley,  James,  161. 
Buchanan,  Geo.,  161. 
Buchanan,  John,  263. 
Buchanan,  John  C.,  161. 
Buchanan,  William,  161,  181,  280,  285. 
Buildings,  statistics  of,  134. 
Bulletin.    See  C'ohoes  Daily  B. 
Bullions,  Rev.  A.  B.,  180,  257. 
Bullock,  Edward,  156,  278. 
Bullock,  John  R.,  132,  273,  297. 
Bullock,  Joseph,  212. 
Bulson,  Geo.,  161. 
Bulson,  John,  292. 
Bump,  Alonzo,  162. 
Buregard,  Oliver,  161. 
Burger,  Rev.  David  J.,  252. 
Burke,  Michael  J.,  304. 
Burke,  Patrick,  291. 
Burnap,  John  G.,  84. 
Burns,  James.  290,  303. 
Burton,  Wm.,  80,  85,  87,  113,  120,  128, 

131,  132,  148,  152.  153,  173,  182,  209, 

295,  296,  300,  301. 
Bush,  Lewis,  161. 


Bash,  Rev.  Stephen.  126,  253. 
Buss,  Ralph,  295,  296. 
Butt  factory,  81. 

Cady,  D.,  203,  248. 

Cady,  Peter  V.,  162. 

Caffrey,  James,  262. 

Cahill,  Henry,  286. 

Cahill,  Hugh,  304. 

Cahill,  James,  162. 

Cahill,  John,  155. 

Cain,  John,  162. 

Caisse,  Joseph,  162. 

Calkins,  A.  T.,  153, 159, 162,  262, 298, 302. 

Calkins,  R.  S.,  299. 

Camera  obscura,  219. 

Cameron,  Rev.  M.,  252. 

Campbell,  Geo.,  175,  194,  210,  244,  301, 
303. 

Campbell  Hose  Co.,  259. 

Campbell,  James  M.,  289. 

Campbell.  John,  263,  284. 

Campbell,  Robert,  255. 
Campbell  &  Clute,  175,  246. 
Campbell  &  Clute's  Block,  219. 
Canal  boat,  first,  266 ;     first   to  pass 

through,  42. 
Canal  enlargement,  68,  73,  76;  the  Erie, 

52. 

Canal  street.    See  Main  street. 
Canals,    construction    of,    41,  42,    265 ; 

courses  of,  43,  44. 
Candly,  Samuel,  156. 
Cane,  Patrick,  156. 
Cannon,  Chas.  T..  278. 
Cannon,  P.  J.,  262 
Canvass  street,  116. 
Carhart,  Rev.  J.  W.,253. 
Carleton,  Chas.  H.,  137. 
Carpenter,  Albert  F.,  162. 
Carpenter,  Asahel,  292. 
Carpenter,  Edwd.  S.,  303, 
Carpenter,  Lorenzo,  162. 
Carpenter,  Philip  H.,  162. 
Carpenter,  William  G.,  162. 
Carpet  factory,  59. 
Carr,  Albert,  156. 
Carr,  T.,  162. 
Carrigan,  Geo.,  235. 
Carroll,  John  C.,  162,  279. 
Carroll.  Wm.  C.,  297. 
Carter,  Chas.  T.,  118,  288,  300. 
Carter,  Charles  W.,  290. 
Carter,  Dr.  Win.  F.,  104,  111,   113,  119, 
129,   140,  144,  157,  178,  189,  279,  295, 
296,  298,  301. 

Carter,  Geo.  T.,  260,  303,  304. 
Carter,  Isaac  S.,  281. 
Carter,  John,  176,  305. 
Carter,  Michael,  156. 
Carter,  Thomas,  293. 
Carter,  T.  C  ,  121,  281,  288,  293,  296. 
Cartwright,  Thomas,  134. 
Cary,  Leonard,  107,  222,  297,  302,  303. 
Casey,  Peter,  290. 
Casey,  Thos.  B.,  162. 
Cassidy,  John,  155. 
Cataract  Alley,  103. 

Cataract  engine,  104;  purchased,  97; 
company  for,  98,  259 ;  house  built 
for,  99. 


310 


INDEX. 


Cataract  House,  4, 177. 

Catholic    church.    See  St.   Bernard's 

church. 

Cavan,  Washington,  54. 
Cavanaugh,  John,  299. 
Caveuaugh,  Edward,  290. 
Cavenagn,  John  V.,  1«2. 
Cauldwell,  M.  O.,  204. 
Caw,  Wm.  G.,  84,  87,  108,  112,  113,  121, 

140,  148,  152,  157.  178,  253,  277,  295, 
297,  801. 

Caw  &  QnackenbuBh  Block,  92. 

Cedar  street,  204. 

Cement  Mill.    See  Lime. 

Cemetery,  presented  to  village,  122, 123. 

Census  of  1855,   125;  of  1860,    147;  of 

1865,  183;    of  1870,  205;  tables  of, 

264. 

Centennial  celebration,  229. 
Central  avenue,  219,  226. 
chad  wick  Guards.   See  Third  Sep.  (Jo. 
Chadwick,   Joseph,   133,   136,   152,  159, 

141,  162,  163,  175,  192.  244,  261,  297. 
Chadwick,  P.  R,  149,  152,  162,  175,  210, 

217,  244,  262. 
Chadwick,  Wm.  N.,  26,  81,  93,  95,  97, 

101,  111,  113,  128,  148,  175,  240,  244, 

296. 
Chamberlain,  205  ;  dispute  in  regard  to, 

221  ;  powers  of,  230. 
Chamberlin,  Rev.  Mr.,  72,253. 
Chambers,  John,  162. 
Charter,  a  city,  proposed,  178 ;  amended, 

112,  125,  205,  209,  227.  230;  for  city, 

passed,  197;  of  village  drawn,  95. 
Chesebro,  I.  W.,  142,  150,  250. 
Chicago  fire,  relief  for  sufferers  by,  208. 
Childs,  John,  156. 
Cholera,  in  1832,  59 ;  in  1849,  104. 
Christie,  James,  162. 
Christie,  Robt,  Jr.,  240. 
Christie,  Rich'd  D.,  260,  261. 
Chubb,  Hiram,  285. 
Churches,  organized,  32,  41,  56,  71,  72, 

91,  196,  224,  254;  built,  60,  73.  91, 

101,  116,  141,  176,  189,  196,  205,  224; 

improvements    in,    145,     199,    213; 

damaged,  229  ;   history  of,  252-255. 
Cider  mill,  196. 
Claffey,  Wm.,  155. 
Clark,  Alvin,  156. 
Clark,  Asa,  142. 
Clark,  Bayard,  26. 
Clark,  J.  B,,162. 
Clark,  James,  299. 
Clark,  Jas.  W.,  261. 
Clark,  John,  281. 
Clark,  John,  Jr..  285. 
Clark,  Joseph, 162. 
Clark,  Otis  G.,  190,  216,  244. 
Clark,  Rev.  Orange,  56,  252. 
Clark,  Richard,  217.  292,  299. 
Clarke,  Benj.  P.,  298. 
Clarke,  Dr.  O.  H.  E.,  263. 
Clarke,  Joshua  R.,  53,  57,  59,  65,  67    80, 

88,  96, 101,  111,  113,  120, 140,  148,'216, 

295,  297,  300,  303. 
Clancy  &  Co  ,  192. 
Claxton  block,  106. 

Claxton,  Col.  P.  S.,  92, 100,  104, 129,  241. 
Cleacham,  Robt.,  155. 


Clements,  Wm.  J.,  271. 

Clerk  of  city,  230. 

Clifton  Company,  127. 

Cline,  William  H.,  162. 

Clinton,  Gov.,  265. 

Clough,  Edwin,  3U4. 

Clough,  Win.,  260,  263,  302. 

Clow,  Philip  L,  280. 

Clute,  Abram  D.,  279. 

Clute,  Adam,  162. 

Clute,  D.  H.,  235. 

Clute,  E.  J.,  262. 

Clute  family.    8,  22 ;  farm,  18,  29. 

Clute,  Gerardus,  33. 

Clute,  Gerrett,  30,  31,  32,  40. 

Clute,  Harvey,  298,  299. 

Clule,  Hiram,  153.  162,  274. 

Clute,  Isaac, 179,  247. 

Clute,  Jeremiah,  91,  95,  113,   124,  137, 

296. 

Clute,  John,  155,  175,  194,  217,  246,  301. 
Clute.  Nicholas  J..  210. 
Coakley,  John,  288, 
Cockroft,  Wm.,  82. 

Cohoes,  derivation  of  name  of,  1 ;  man 
ner  of  spelling,  251 ;  settlement  of, 
15,  18;  in  1813,  described,  39;  in 
1824,  45,  46;  in  1831,  53-56;  1836, 
66:  1847,  85;  incorporated  as  a 
village,  94,  95,  96 ;  incorporated  as 
a  city,  197;  movement  to  incorpo 
rate,  178 ;  to  be  part  of  the  city  of 
Watervliet,  192 ;  charter  of,  amend 
ed,  112,205,  209,  227,230;  statistics 
of,  200,  264 ;  officers  of,  295-305 ;  cen 
sus  of,  125,  147,  183,  205,  264;  farms 
and  farmhouses  in,  18-29 ;  bonding 
of  city  proposed,  225;  history  of, 
published,  199,  212;  first  directory 
of,  193:  first  election,  as  a  city,  201 ; 
expenses  of,  in  1849, 103 ;  war  re 
cord  of,  148-172. 

Colioes    Falls,  45,  48;    early  accounts 
of,  2,  8,  4,  6,  7,  8,  9, 10, 11,  12, 14;  di 
mensions  of,  4,  12;  pictures  of,  10, 
12 ;  described,  39. 
Hospital,  209. 
Hotel,  59.  69,  85. 
House,  43,  54. 

Iron  foundery.    See  Foundery. 
Manufacturing  Co.,  37,  38,  39,  46, 

50,65. 
Savings  Institution.  See  Savings 

Inst. 

&  Troy  Rail  Road.  88,  89,  114. 

Cohoes  Company,  28,  29,  37,  50,  65,  100, 

101,  123,  131,  143,  215,  266 ;  canal  of, 

68,  69  ;  dam  of,  73, 182 ;  disputes  of, 

with  village,  108,  109;  foundation 

of,  47,  48;  first  operations  of,  51, 

52, 58,  63 ;  sketch  of,  238-241 ;  works 

of,  66,   76,  239,  240;  water  supply 

from,  130, 195. 

Cohoes  Advertiser,  the,   described,  83, 

84,  85. 

Cohoes  Cataract,  the,  established,  102; 
sketch  of,  248,  249;  discontinued, 
180. 

Cohoes  Daily  Bulletin,  228. 
Cohoes  Daily  News,  established,  217; 
sketch  of,  249. 


INDEX. 


311 


Cohoes   Democrat,    established,    185; 

sketch  of,  248. 
Cohoes  Journal,  99. 
Cohoes  Weekly  Democrat,  established, 

203. 

Cole,  Aaron,  163. 
Cole,  Abram  V.,  262. 
Cole,  George,  162. 
Cole,  James,  162,  277. 
Cole,  Lorenzo  S.,  262. 
Cole,  Octavius,  273. 
Coleman,  James,  301. 
Coleman,  John,  163,  303.  304,  305. 
Coleman,  Joseph,  163,  301,  302. 
Coleman,  Morris,  163. 
Coleman,  Silas  B.,  162. 
Coleman,  Thos.,  163,  244. 
Colgrove,  David,  155. 
Colgrove,  John  B  ,  81. 
Collier,  Thomas,  293. 
Collier,  William,  162. 
Collins,  George  Z.,  143. 
Collins,  L.  D.,  193. 
Collins,  Michael  J.,  287. 
Collins,  T.  C.,  261. 
Collin  and  Jones,  41. 
Columbia  street,  44,  55,  219,  225. 
Colwell,  Thos.,  179,  212,  216,  245. 
Commissioners  of  Deeds,  205. 
Common  Council,  first  meeting  of,  201 ; 

powers  of,  205,  227. 
Condley,  John  H.,  303,  304. 
Condron,  James,  162. 
Condron,  William,  162. 
Congressman  from  Cohoes,  305. 
Conley,  John,  155. 
Couliss,  Wm.,  151,  156,  159,  176. 
Conliss  &  Carter,  176 ;  mill  of,  burned, 

180. 

Connaughty,  Edward,  292, 
Connaughty,  Mr.,  91. 
Connoily,  James,  162. 
Connolly,  Samuel,  162 
Connors,  John,  162,  290. 
Constables,  227. 
Constant,  Joseph  D.,  67. 
Con  way,  Eugene,  304. 
Cook,  Alfred,  61. 
Cook,  Alanson,  72. 
Cook,  Geo.  W.,  250. 
Cook,  Samuel,  74. 
Cooley,  John,  305. 
Coon,  John  M.,  85. 
Cope,  William,  162. 
Copeland,  John,  291. 
Corcoran,  J.,  162. 
Corwin,  Kev.  D.,  253. 
Costello,  Joseph,  162. 
Cotton  factory,  41,  45,  46,  47 ;  of  E.  L. 

Miller,  59 ;  of  Harmony  M'fg  Co., 

67. 

Cotton  flax  mill,  120. 
Cotton  mills,  condition  of,  in  1857,  134  ; 

erected,  80,  81 ;  production  of,  81 ; 

statistics  of,  in  1847,  86 ;  in  1853, 

119  ;  in  1855, 128.  See  also  Harmony, 

Strong  &  Ogden  Mills. 
Court  room,  built,  107. 
Coveney,  Benj.,  260,  261,  303. 
Cowden,  Geo.,  162. 
Cowee,  David,  176,  244. 


Cox,  Andrew,  162,  300. 

Coyle,  Nicholas,  105. 

Craig,  Chas.  P.,  198,  263. 

Craig,  P.  B.,  162. 

Craig,  William,  162. 

Craley,  Jacob,  254. 

Cramer,  John,  101. 

Crandall,  Burton  H.,  162,  305. 

Cranston,  James  L.  N.,  155,  162,  289. 

Cranston,  Wm.  H.,  162,  275. 

Crapo,  Amos,  304. 

Crane,  J.  H.,  116. 

Crane,  Joi.n  S..  155,  299,  300,  304. 

Crane,  W.  S.,  302. 

Crescent,  water  supply  from  131,  195 ; 

road  to.  225,  229. 
Crawford.  J.  P.,  131,  144,  174,  178,  219, 

297,  301,  '305. 

Crawford,  kev,  E.,  71,  253. 
Crawford,  William  N.,  290. 
Crocker,  M.  L.,69. 
Crookley,  Thomas,  284. 
Cropsey,  Gabriel  M.,  147,  292. 
Crosby,  Clarkson  F..  240. 
Crossley,  Robert,  162. 
Crossingham,  Jas.  H.,  262. 
Crowley,  John,  305. 
Crowuer  family,  43,  54. 
Cullen,  Rev.  Thos.,  254. 
Cummings,  Geo.,  298. 
Cummings,  Michael,  303. 
Curtis,  A.  G.,212. 
Curtis,  Joseph,  50. 
Curtis,  Robert,  81. 
Cushman,  John  P.,  27. 

Dailey,  Jeremiah  A.,  163. 

Daily  Eagle,  the,  228. 

Daily  News.    See  Cohoes  Daily  News. 

Daley,  Dennis,  163,  303. 

Daley,  Geo.  C.,  305. 

Daley,  John,  163. 

Daley,  Michael,  292. 

Dallas,  Thomas,  155. 

Daly,  Rev.  Thos.,  254. 

Dam,  of  Cohoes  Co.,  73, 182;  built  and 

rebuilt,  51,  58. 
Dam,  the  state,  built,  207. 
Damon,  Elbridge,  297. 
Damon,  John,  156. 
Damon,  John  E.,  283. 
Danaher,  Maurice,  163. 
Darrow,  David  M.,  163. 
Davenport,  Chas.,  163. 
Davenport,  Geo.,  163. 
Davenport,  James,  163. 
Davenport,  John,  163. 
Davids,  Elias,  155. 
Davis,  John,  292. 
Davis,  N.  B.,  287. 
Davis,  Thos.,  163. 
Daw,  Peter  F.,  107,  250,  292,  300. 
Dawson,  Henry,  133,  192,  246. 
Dean,  Geo.,  261. 
Dearborn,  John,  114. 
Deecher,  Jas.,  305. 
De  Graff,  Joseph,  292. 
De  Haas1  patent,  15. 
Delahanty,  Joseph,  194. 
Delanoy,  W.,  254. 
Delany,  John,  163. 


312 


INDEX. 


Delve,  James,  181,  263,  297. 
Deraarest,  Rev.  John,  32,  33. 
Demarest,  Wm.  C.,  305. 
DeMilt,  B.  &  S.,  41,  50. 
Democrat.    See  Cohoes  Democrat. 
Denio,  Henry,  103. 
Dennis,  Nicholas,  163. 
Denuiu.  Patrick,  290. 
Derby,  William,  163. 

Deroche, ,  163. 

Deroche,  James,  163. 
Derocher,  Joseph,  292. 
Deuel,  George,  163. 
Dewar,  Wm.,  259. 
Deyo,  Abner,  300. 
Deyo,  Marcus  S.,  98. 
Diamond  Mill,  244. 
Dickey,  James  R.,  279. 
Dickey,  Henry  D.,  305. 
Dickey,  Wm.,  140,  272,  295. 
Dickson,  John  M.,  289. 
Diehl,  Geo.,  163,  277. 
Dictz,  Sidney,  156. 
Dietz,  Stephen,  163,  296. 
Dillon,  James,  289. 
Directory,  published,  193. 
Dixon,  A.  K.,302,  303,  304. 
Dixon,  Geo.,  255,  298. 
Dockstader,  Geo.  Z.,  69,  302. 
Dodge,  Jacob,  82,  85,  87. 
Dodge,  James,  268. 
Dodge,  Joseph  C.,  163,  300. 
Dodge,  Levi,  143, 175,  204. 
Dodge,  Stephen,  296. 
Dodge,  Wm.,71. 
Dodge,  Wm.  T.,  139,  301,  302. 
Donahue,  Wrilliam,  163. 
Doncaster  &  Hay,  102. 
Donnelly,  Catherine,  176. 
Donovan,  Michael,  90,  163,  296. 
Doolittle.  Lucius,  290. 
Doran,  John,  305. 
Dorr,  David,  163. 
Dotter,  Solomon,  301,  302. 

Doty,  Stephen,  260. 

Doty,  Wm.  H.,  98,  302. 

Dougherty,  James,  304. 

Dowd,  Luman,  109. 

Dowd,  Patrick,  163. 

Downey,  Margaret,  176. 

Downing,  Michael,  163. 

Downs,  John,  272,  290. 

Doyle,  Chas.  P.,  163,  231,  281. 

Doyle,  Geo.  II.,  163. 

Doyle,  John,  114,  156,  157,  296,  300. 

Doyle,  M.,  163. 

Doyle,  Mrs.  Sarah,  74- 

Draft  in  1862,  151, 152;    in  1863, 154. 

Driscoll,  James,  286. 

Driscoll,  Simon  P.,  163. 

Drysdale,  Geo.,  163. 

Drysdale,  John,  163,  285,  299. 

Dubois,  Henry,  113. 

Dubois,  Rev.  John,  33. 

Dubuque,  L.  R.,179,  223. 

Ducharme,  Geo.,  302. 

Dudley,  Chas.  E.,  48. 

Dudley,  Henry,  07. 

Dumell,  Alfred,  163. 

Duncan,  Rev.  John,  72,  252. 

Duncan,  Thos.,  192. 


Dunlap,  John,  254. 
Dunn,  Edward,  163. 
Dunn,  Thos.,  163. 
Dunsback,  Henry  I.,  204. 
Duquette,  Moses,  294. 
Durham,  Henry,  163. 
Durham,  James,  163,  275. 
Durrant,  James,  261,  291. 
Dutemple,  Wm.,  296,  297. 
Dwyer,  Rev.  E.,  252. 

Eagan,  Kyran,  156,  164. 

Eagan,  William  R .,  290. 

Eastham,  Henry,  164. 

Eastham,  Thos.,  163,  277. 

Eastwood,  J.,  114. 

Eastwood,  John,  98,  272,  296,  300. 

Eastwood,  John  H.,  164. 

Eastwood,  John  Jr.,  280. 

Eastwood,  Justus,  293.  300. 

Eastwood,  Rev.  J.,  252. 

Eastwood,  William  H.,  289. 

Ebah,  John,  164,  278. 

Eccles,  Francis  T.,  163. 

Eccles,  J.,  126. 

Eccles,  Joseph,  260. 

Eccles,  Samuel  P.,  163. 

Edwards,  Henry  W.,  246. 

Edwards,  Rev.  Edw'd  F.,  252. 

Egan,  Chas.,  302,  303. 

Egan,  John,  262. 

Egan,  John  II.,  303,  305. 

Egan,  Owen,  164. 

Egberts,  Egbert,  61,  62,  63,  91,  95,  97, 

101,  104,  110,  111,  113,  115,  119,  123, 

127,  128,  140,  145,  148,  152,  180,  249, 

252,  282,  296. 
Egberts  &  Bailey,  62,  74,  86,  91,  100; 

block,  106;  dissolved,  115;  factory 

of,  77,  79. 

Egberts  Hall  opened,  138. 
Egberts   Institute,    255;     established, 

180  ;  leachers  of,  257. 
Egnesperry,  Francis,  164. 
Election  districts  changed,  136. 
Election,  first  under  city  charter,  201; 

first  under  village  charter,  96. 
Ellis,  Elisha,  164. 
Ellison,  Robert,  164. 
Ellmaker,  Augustus,  201,  299. 
Elmore,  J.  C.,  133. 
Emerson,  Rev.  Oliver,  253. 
Empire  Mill,  174,  182, 196, 244 ;  built,142. 
Empire  Pin  Co.,  127,  207. 
Empire  Tube  Works,  212, 246 ;  enlarged, 

235. 

En  Earl,  Henry  Jr.,  88,  91. 
En  Earl,  Henry  Sr.,  43,  49,  54,  287,  295. 
En  Earl,  John  H.,  164. 
En  Earl,  Merrit  D.,  164. 
En  Earl,  N.  W.,  296,  298. 
Engineer  of  city,  227.  230. 
Engine  houses  built,  99,  114, 199,  259. 
Englestoff,  John,  293. 
English,  Michael,  305. 
English,  Patrick,  303. 
Enlistments  of  soldiers,  149,  150,  156, 

157. 

Enos,  W.  C.,  133. 
Enos,  William,  292. 
Ensign,  H.  A.,  164. 


INDEX. 


313 


Ensign's  Mill,  41. 

Enterprise  Mill.  218,  244. 

Episcopal  church.  See  *st.  John's  church. 

Erie  Will,  182,   190,  244;  burned,  214; 

rebuilt.  218. 
Evans,  Joel,  1(54. 
Evans,  Rev.  C.  P.,  257. 
Evcrs,  William.  291. 
Everts,  J.  D.,  104. 
Excelsior  Fire  Engine,  96,  97,  98. 

Fabyan.  H.  G.,  164. 

Fail-bank,  David,  1(54. 

Fair-bank,  J.  W.,  1(54. 

Fairbank,  Sherman  D.,  63,  98,  133,  175, 

276,  297. 

Fairchild,  Anthony,  263. 
Falardo,  Daniel,  1G4. 
Falardo,  Dennis  L.,  164. 
Falardo,  John,  164. 
Falardo,  Joseph.  &  De  Villiers,  105. 
Falardo,  Loui-s  289. 
Falardo,  Onesime.  164. 
Fallen,  Michael.  289. 
Fall  on,  Peter,  164. 
Farmhouses,  locaMon  of,  18-29. 
Farmilo,  Henry.  254. 
Farms,  boundaries  of,  24  to  29. 
Farnam,  F.  W.,  84,  93,  100,  115. 
Farrell,  Edward,  164. 
Farrell,  John,  293. 
Farrell,  Matt,  164. 
Farrelly,  Michael.  274. 
Fartliinir,  F.  E.,  164. 
Faulkner's  tavern,  53. 
Fay,  P.itrick,  155. 
Ftatheretonhaugh,  Dr.  J.  D.,  209,  263, 

303. 

Felthousen,  Herman  D.,  98. 
Ferguson,  Aaron  L  ,  93,  114,  273. 
Ferguson,  Chas.  F.,  271. 
Ferguson,  Geo.  N.,  296. 
Ferguson,  P.  B.,  140,  300. 
Ferguson,  Win.,  164,  283,  292. 
Fero,  David,  32. 
Fero,  Peter  &  Henry,  29. 
Ferretl,  Win.,  98.  296. 
Ferris,  Harvey,  300. 
Fielding.  John,  290. 
Fifth  ward  hi  1 1.227. 
Finney,  Oscar  O..  (19,  280. 
Finlay,  Charles,  1(54. 
Finlny,  John,  1(54. 
Finnigan,  James,  156. 
Fire      alarm      telegraph,      proposed, 

Fire,  in  post  office,  84;  at  Clute  Pnirt 
Mill,  91  ;  at,  T.  Bailey's  Mill,  104;  in 
Strong  Mill.  123;  in  Harmony  Mill, 
136;  in  Wilkinson  Machine  Shop, 
137  ;  at  horse  car  barn,  184;  at  Erie 
Mil),  214;  at  Stark  Mill,  214,  at 
Harmony  Mills,  173;  at.  Burton's 
Mill,  173;  at  Paper  Mill.  173;  at 
Hurst's  Mill,  17(1;  at  old  Junction, 
178 ;  at  Conliss  &  Carter's  Mill,  178 ; 
at  Van  Rensselaer  House,  104.  115; 
«t  Ten  Eyck  Axe  Factory.  222;  at 
Root's  Mill,  222;  at  Weed  & 
Becker's,  227. 

Fire  commissioners,  227. 

40 


Fire  Department.  113;  organized,  96, 
97.98;  chief  engineers  of,  300:  im 
provements  in,  181,  182,194;  sketch 
of,  258,  259. 

Fisher,  Horace.  19S.  212. 

Fitts.  Lucien.  98,  2!)5,  296. 

Fitz  Gerald,  Edward,  200. 

Fitz  Gerald,  Lawrence,  156. 

Fitz  Gerald,  Maurice,  304. 

Fitz  Patrick,  Daniel,  164,  290,  298. 

Fitz  Patrick,  Frank,  291. 

Fitz  Patrick,  John,  302. 

Fi tz  Patrick,  Martin,  280. 

Fitz  Patrick,  Matthew,  123,  272,  295, 
297,  304. 

Fitz  Patrick,  Rev.  J.,  288. 

Flag  raisings,  149. 

Flannigan,  Dennis,  57. 

Flannigan,  rJdward,  262. 

Flannigan  family,  43. 

Flannigan,  Geo.,  164. 

Flannigan,  John,  164. 

Flannigan.  Thomas  B.,  291. 

Fletcher,  Isaac  F.,  54,  131,  164,  260,  276, 
295,  296,  297. 

Fletcher,  Isaac  V.,  141. 

Fletcher,  Leonard  G.,  164,  274. 

Fletcher,  Thos.,  164. 

Fletcher,  William,  164,  292. 

Flint,  Rev.  F.  W.,  180. 

Flour  Mill,  75,  124,  146,  147.  247. 

Flynn,  John.  164,  275, 

Fogarty,  William,  292. 

Foley,  Edward,  194. 

Foley,  John,  299. 

Foley,  Peter.  290. 

Fonda,  Abraham  D.,  32. 

Fonda,  A  brain  II.,  305. 

Fonda,  Col.  D.>w,  281. 

Fonda,  Cornelius  V.,  271. 

Fonda,  Douw,  22. 

Fondn,  Douw  A.,  29. 122. 

Fonda,  E.  Raymond,  164.  277. 

Fonda  family,  17.  18,  29,  32. 

Fonda,  Frank.  303.  303. 

Fonda,  Geo.  F.,  164. 

Fonda,  Gilbert  M..  164. 

Fond.i,  Isaac.  32.273. 

Fonda,  Isaac  J.,  3D. 

Fonda,  Jacob  D.,  26,  29. 

Fonda.  Jesse,  33. 

Fonda,  Laurence  S.,  97,  295. 

Fonda,  Win..  155. 

Foote,  Win..  137. 

Forbes,  John,  286. 

Forbes,  Peter,  278. 

Foreman,  John,  285. 

Ford,  John  W.,  303,  304,  S05. 

Forrest,  Dr.  J.  B..  287. 

Forrester.  L.  G..  279. 

Fort  family,  12,  17. 

Forth1  s  tavern,  12. 

Forward,  John.  164. 

Foster.  E.  II.,  217,  262. 

Foster,  James  G.,  85. 

Foster,  Sunuel  II..  81,  87,  83,  104,  113, 
281,  296,  297,  299,  300. 

Foster,  Win.,  164. 

Foundery,  established,  64,  199;  the 
Cohoes.  87.  120;  removed,  192. 

Fountain,  Theophilus- 156. 


314 


INDEX. 


Fourth  of  July  celebration,  appropria 
tion  for,  230;  acconut  of,  232;  of 
1850,  109,110;  of  1865,  159. 

Fowler,  Newton,  282. 

Fowler,  Ralph,  164. 

Fowler,  Thos.,  115,  119,  127. 

Fowler,  T.  S.,  164. 

Fox.  Joseph,  38. 

Fox^  Rev.  Robert.  253. 

Franklin,  Benj.,  96. 

Frazier,  P..  164. 

Freeman,  Wrn.  L.,  98. 

I1  rench  church .  See  6V.  Joseph's  church. 

French.  John  G.,  258. 

Frink,  Alex.,  295,  296.  297,  300,  302. 

Frink,  Alexander  H.,  155,  277. 

Frink,  John  W..  131,  132,  144.  293,  297, 
298,  299,301. 

Frink,  Spencer,  299. 

Frisby,  Robert  W.,  164,  275. 

Frost,  .James.  164. 

Frost,  Norman  W.,164, 178, 210, 217,  249. 

Frost,  Robert,  164,  299. 

Frost,  Rev.  Daniel  C.,  253. 

Frv,  Edwin  A.,  164. 

Fuller  &  SafeK,  203. 

Fuller  &  Safelv's  building-,  192. 

FulU-r,  Kdwiml  W.,  69,  70,  88,  113  119, 
120,  133,  135, 148, 193,  250.  296 ;  &  II. 
D.,  215. 

Fuller,  Henrv  D.,  64,  69,  70,  88,  90,  95, 
100,107,110,113,119,  120,  128,129, 
140,  148,  192,  231.  244,  2-19,  295,  300, 
301.  S02,  303;  &  Hay,  219. 

Fuller,  Mr.,  59. 

Fulton.  John,  114,  121,  122,  156,  297, 
298! 

Furniture  factory,  204,  218,  247. 

Gaffncy,  Thos.,  299. 

Gage,  William,  165. 

Gaine,  Henry  M.,  188. 

Game,  Paul,  260. 

Galbraith,  James.  165,  273. 

Gallapo,  Joseph,  165. 

Galilean,  Bernard.  259. 

Galvin,  John,  156. 

Garfield,  Rev.  B.  F.,  252. 

Garner,  Thomas,  112,  135,  211,  280. 

Garner,  Thos.  Jr.,  282. 

Garner,  Wm.  T.,  240.  241. 

Garraghnn,  Owen,  290,  301. 

Garrigan,  Martin,  299. 

Gas  Light  Co.,  organized,  119. 

Gauthier,  F.,  165. 

Gauthier,  Joseph,  164. 

Gauthier,  Peter.  165. 

Gay,  AmosR.,  968. 

Geer.  John  N..  263. 

Oenoic,  J.  H.,  165. 

German  Baptist  Church,  254. 

Gilbert,  Wm.  S.,  209,  216.  244,  303. 

Gill,  E.  D.,  270. 

Gill,  James,  293. 

Gillisran,  F'at'k,  155. 

Gillis,  J..  165. 

Gilman,  Chas.  O.,  304,  305. 

Gilmore.  Martin,  260. 

Gilson,  Rev.  J.  B.,  252. 

Giard,  Alexander,  294. 

Girard,  Alexis,  293. 


Gleason,  Thos.,  302. 

Gledhill,  Wm.,  285. 

Glines,  B.  A. ,142. 

Globe  Mill,  212,  244. 

Goddard.  Aaron,  254. 

Goffe,  Asahel,  72.  271. 

Goffe,  Augustus  J.,  72,  105,  132,  207. 

Goffe,  Demas,  133,  271. 

Golden.  Thos.,  272,  304. 

Gooch,  Thomas,  164,  278. 

Goodfellow,  James  H.,  165. 

Goodrich,  Frederick  S.,  165. 

Goodwater,  Vital,  165. 

Gordon,  V»i"  Olinda,  165. 

Gormley,  Koht.,  165,  278. 

Goss,  Dr.C.  F.,  84,  110,  271. 

Gould,  Alfred,  155,  260. 

Gould,  David,  260. 

Gould,  Joseph.  71,  114. 

Gould,  Joseph  Jr.,  300. 

Gould,  Mark  H.,  288. 

Grand  Army  of  Republic.  See  PostLyod. 

Grand  View  Park,  219. 

Granite  Ilnll  Block,  92. 

Grant,  F.  W.,  147. 

Grant,  H.  R.,  133,  136,  283,  298,  299. 

Grant,  Mrs.  IT.  R.,  229,  247. 

Grant,  Rev.  H.  L.,  253. 

Grass,  George,  284. 

Graves,  Geo.  II.,  304. 

Gray,  John,  262. 

Gray,  Rev.  John.  252.  253. 

Greason,  Edward.  165,  275. 

Greason,  Egbert,  165. 

Greason,  George,  263,  291. 

Greason,  WTil!iam,  290. 

Gregory,  Alex.  M.,  132,  291. 

Gregory  &  Hiller,  223. 

Gregory,  C.  N.,  139. 

Gregory,  Chas..  155. 

Gregory,  Dr.  O.  H.,  141,  145. 

Gregory,  E.  S.,  302. 

Gregory.  Georire  H.,  292. 

Gregory,  Rev.  Dr.,  145. 

Gregory,  Wm.  M.,  132;  &    Killer,  244. 

Green,  Chas.,  276. 

Green,  Chas.  D.,  165. 

Green,  Chas.  N.,  165,  259. 

Green,  Elisha  T.,  289,  296,  297. 

Green,  Geo.,  165. 

Green,  H.  J.  P.,  264. 

Green,  John,  165. 

Green,  Otis  R.,  165.  256. 

Green,  Wm.,  98,  285. 

Greer,  John,  165,  278. 

Grecnman.  L..  137,  192. 

Greenwood,  William,  165. 

Grierson,  Geo.,  156. 

Griffin,  A.  J.,  93,  137,  142,  178,  217,  246, 

250. 

Griffin,  Francis,  67. 
Griffin,  Geo.  C.,  260. 
Griffin,  Patrick.  285. 
Griffenty.  Thos.,  156. 
Groesbcck,  Leonard,  217. 
Groves,  James,  272. 
Groves,  John,  263. 
Grist  Mill,  Lansing's,  29,  45;  Clute's. 

30 ;  Heamstreet's,  30. 
Gugerty,  Patrick,  134,  189. 
Gurr,  Rev.  C.  D.,  253. 


INDEX. 


315 


Gwynne,  Rev.  Walker,  252. 
Gwynn,  Wm.  H.,  4,  283. 

Haggerty,  Wra.  C.,  112. 

Halm,  Joseph,  98. 

Hart,  Richard  P.,  25,  27. 

Halcyon  Mill,  128,  132;  sold,  175,  191. 

Haley.  John,  286 

Haley,  Joseph,  165. 

Haifmoon,  39. 

Hall,  Henry,  Jr.,  98. 

Hall,  Thomas  A.,  291. 

Hallenbeck,  Jacob  H.,  114. 

Halpm,  James,  165. 

Halve  Maan  ot  Half  Moon.  12,  16,  17,  33. 

Hamilton,  David,  lul. 

Handy,  Chas.  O.,  67. 

Handy,  Isaac  F.,  165. 

Hanlcy,  Patrick,  304. 

Hanson.  G.  W.,  166. 

Hardeubrook.  Chas.  C.,  165. 

Hardie,  Robert.  257. 

Harmon,  A.  M.,  301,  302. 

Harmony  Company,  181,182.     See  also 
Harmony  Mills. 

Harmony  Hiii.  growth  of,  133,  242,  190. 

Harmony  Hill     U.  S.  S.     See  Sunday 
Schoo,,. 

Harmony  M'f'gCo.,  57,  81  ;   organiza 
tion  of,  67.  68. 

Harmony  Mill*,  119,  146.  194;  additions 
to,  179,  183 ;  fire  in.   136.   173 ;  con 
dition  in  1857. 134,  135, 136  ;  in  panic 
of   1873.    220,    221  ;  ownership    of 
changed,  Hi  ;  No.  2,  erected,  133; 
No.  3   commenced,  185  ;  completed, 
195.  211;   statistics  of,  in  1847,  86; 
in  1866,  190;  in  1872,  212,   213;   in 
1876,  242.  243  ;  sketch  of,  241,  243. 
Harmony,  Peter,  67. 
Harrington,  John  W.,  189. 
Harris,  E.  S.  and  H.  W..  127. 
Harris,  James  268. 
Harrison,  John,  283. 
Harrison,  lohnB.,  260,268,  295. 
Harrison.  William,  290. 
Hart,  Richard  Jr.,  165. 
Hart  ness  wool  n  mill,  120. 
Hartnett.  Daniel  Jr..  166. 
Harvey,  James,  166,  276. 
Harvey,  Ruel,  165. 
Haskins,  Joseph,  120. 
Hastings,  Frank.  233,  264. 
Hastings,  Herbert,  139.  165,  277,  300. 
Hastings,  Jonathan,  271. 
Hastings,  Wm.,  181. 
Hatcher,  Thomas,  !.65,  261. 
Haver  Island,  16,  17,  32. 
Hawes  &  Baker,  65,  70.  80,  81. 
Hawley,  Rev.  C.  R.,  253. 
Hay,  Alex.,  98,  279. 
Hay.  Chas.,  132,  219,  244,  279,  301. 
Hay,  Francis.  166. 

Hay,  James,  263.  279,  298,  300,  303,  305. 
Hay,  John,  250,  304,  279. 
Hay.  John,  Jr.,  295. 
Hay,  John  W.,  165. 
Hay.  Miller,  301. 

Mayden.  James,  148,  288,  294,  305. 
Hayes,  John,  99. 
Ha/nes,  Dr.  J.  U.,  263. 


Hayward,  Charles,  165. 

Hayward,  James  M.,  124,291. 

Hayward,  John,  165. 

Hayward,  Sheffield,  136,  178,  183.  297. 
299. 

Heady,  William,  166. 

Healey,  Patrick,  262. 

Healey,  Wm.,  189,  262. 

Health,  Board  of,  appointed,  104. 

Heamstreet,  Albert,  30. 

Heamstreet,  Chas.,  26,  30,  37,  42. 

Heamstreet,  Jacob,  41. 

Heamstreet,  John.  45,  55. 

Heamstreet,  Richard,  27,  36,  43,  53,  54 
55,  85. 

Heamstreet  family,  18,  21,  27. 

Hcffcrn,  Christopher,  165. 

Heffern,  Edward.  303. 

Hclmerick,  J.,  262. 

Hclmerick,  Joseph,  165. 

Hemstreet,  James,  71, 136. 

Hemphill,  Henry,  165. 

Hemphill,  James  T.,  165,  300. 

Hemphill,  John,  166. 

Hemphill,  Thomas,  166,  290. 

Hemstreet,  Russell,  165. 

Henderson,  Francis,  136,  148,  296,  297. 

Henderson,  John,  296. 

Henry,  John,  114. 

Tlenthorn,  James,  286. 

Herell,  Richard,  254. 

Herkimer  family,  43. 

Hewson,  Edward,  165. 

Hibbert,  Henry  C.,  165,  303.  304,  305. 

Hicks,  Charles,  291. 

Higgins,  Geo.,  303. 

Hiiigins,  Michael,  155.  165. 
Higirins,  Thos..  262,263. 

Higley,  H.  E.,  106. 

Hiidreth,  T.  P.,  137,  142,  300. 

Hill,  Barney,  166. 

Hill,  Joseph,  165. 

Hiller  Jonathan,  120,  132,  182,  244,  261, 

297,  302,  303. 
Hilton,  John,  263. 
Hilzinger.  Rev.  Henry,  254. 
Himes,  Jas.  K.  P.,  166,  278. 
Hiines,  Jehial  W..  152,  165,178,  198,210, 

217,  244. 

Himes  &  Vail,  198. 
Ilines,  Patrick,  114. 
Hitchcock,  Edwin,  114, 194,  299,  302, 304. 
Hitchcock,  Wm.  B.,  274. 
Hitchcock  Hose  Co.,  259. 
Hitchcns,  Thomas,  74. 
Hobart,  William,  292. 
Hoben,  A.,  263. 
Hodgson,  John,  166. 
Hodgson,  Kendall.  166,  260. 
Hod<rson,  Lester,  166. 
Hogan,  Patrick,  258. 
Hogben.  William,  289. 
Hogg,  Thos.,  ?55. 
Holley,  Wm.,  276. 
Hollister,  D.  Cady,  120. 
Hollister,  Wm.  II.,  84,  92,  110,  120,  295, 

298. 

Hollonui,  Patrick,  292. 
Holmes,  John,  263. 
Holsapple,  P.  S.,  137,  246,  253. 
Hopkins,  John,  165. 


316 


INDEX. 


Horan,  Cornelius,  302. 

Koran,  John,  282. 

Homer,  James,  279. 

Horrohin,  Win.  T.,  102,  199,  21  fi,  £40. 

Horrocks,  John,  212,  203,  244,  3U3. 

Horrocks,  Samuel,  204. 

Horse  Kail  Road  Co.,  Cohoes  and  Troy, 

incorp.,  173;    ro.ul  of,  completed, 

177;  t tables  of,  burned,  184;  suits 

against,  184. 

Horse  Rail  Roads  to  Watcrford,  178. 
Hospital,  established,  209. 
Hotel,  the  fir -I,  59. 
Hotel,  the  Cohoes, 59,  85,  215  ;  company 

organized,  215;  proprietorship  of, 

69. 

Honghton,  Joab,  67,  240. 
Houlihan,  C.  &  Stanton,  240. 
Houlihan,  Cornelius,  159,  298,  301. 
Houlihan,  Jeremiah,  273. 
House,  Geo.  A.,  2(54. 
House,  Moses,  296,  299. 
House,  Rosm  J.,  165. 
House,  Theodore  M.,  165. 
Howard,  Geo.  \V..  165. 
Howard,  T.  R..298. 
Howard,  Win.  11..  276. 
Howard  street,  185,  226. 
Hovvarth  Engine  Co.,  232,  £59. 
Howaith,  Geo. ,296. 
Howartli.  Geo.  H..  260. 
Howarth,  Henry,  107,  142. 
Howarth,  John,  165. 
Howartli,  John  Wesley,  2£0,  303. 
Howe.  E.  C.,  85. 
Howe,  llezekiah.  53,  56,  57,  58,  60,  70, 

75,  100,  250,  269,  287. 
Howe  &  Ross,  8J,  &5. 
Howe,  Miss  E,  15-2. 
Howe,  MissM.,  57. 
Howell,  Elias,  271. 
Howell,  Malt.ny,  72,274. 
Howes,  Dr.  Thomas  C.,  293. 
Howes,  Geo.  M..  273. 
Hubbard,  Murray.  148,  178, 194,  195,  208, 

210,  219,  247,  257,  299. 
Hubbard,  Oliver  C.,  44,  58,  73,  74,  96. 
Hubbell,  Chas.  L.,  281. 
Hude,  John,  156. 
Hudson,  Benj.,  166. 
Hudson,  Geo.   285. 
Hughes,  J.  S.  &  E.,  247. 
Hughes,  Michael,  165. 
Hnmc,  Geo.,  156. 
Hunt,  Henry,  155. 
Hurst,  Richard,  120,  132,  300. 
Hursfs  Mill,  burning  «f,  176  ;  sold,  190. 
Hutchins,  Hcnj.,  114,  271,  29o. 
Hutching,  Geo.  VV.,  286. 

Ilslcy,  Stillman,  206. 
Incorporation,  as  a  city,  discussed.  196, 
197 ;  movement  towards,  94, 95,  96. 
Indian  legends,  4.  5. 
Ingraham.  Chas.  F.,  139,  279. 
Irish  fam in 6,  90. 
Israel,  Wm.  P.,  Jr.,  100. 
Ivory,  Michael,  189. 

Jnckson,  Geo.,  98,  297. 
Jacksou,  John,  133, 106,  268. 


Jackson,  Robert,  155. 

Jackson,  Samuel.  156. 

Jackson,  Thos..  156. 

Jackson,  Wm.  B.,  166,  279. 

James  street,  226. 

Jones,  Elisha,  38. 

Junks,  Willard,  69. 

Jenkins,  Chas.  M.,  128,  240. 

Jerome,  Joseph.  166. 

Jerome,  Louis,  166. 

Johnson,  Hugh,  156. 

Johnson,  James,  194. 

Johnson,  John,  156. 

Johnson,  J.  II.,  98. 

Johnson,  Michael  H.,  166,  2£0. 

Johnson,  Rev.  C.  A..  214,  253. 

Johnson,  Rev.  L.  S.,  214,253. 

Johnson,  Rev.  Wm.  M..  214,  253. 

Johnston  avenue,  236,  239. 

Johnston.  D.  J.,  131,  135,  139,  148,  153, 

17S,  181,  194,  208,  210,  216,  226.  233, 

241,  243,  252,  255,  297,  298,  299,  301, 

302,  S04. 

Johnston,  E.  H.,  113,  272. 
Johnston  Lodge,  261. 
Johnson,  Samuel  W..  166,  241. 
Johnston,   Robert,   112.   127,   140,    194, 

209,  217,  2-13,  250,  296. 
Johnston  Steamer  Co.,  194,  232,  259. 
Jones,  Hiro  &  Sonthworth,  84. 
Jones.  Isaac.  293. 
Jones,  M.  II.,  222. 
Jones,  M.  11.  &  Co.,  176,  245. 
Jones,  Robert,  302,  303. 
Jones,  Wm.,  288. 
Jones,  Wm.  F.,  155,  194,  303,  304. 
Jones  &  Ryan,  176. 
Journal  des  Dame  ,  228. 
Juber,  Adolphns,  156. 
Judge,  John,  74. 
Judge,  Patrick,  74,  107. 
Jump,  Joseph,  16(5. 
Jump,  Joseph  E.,  166. 
Junction,  the,  of  canals,  42,  43,  45,  46. 
Justice  of  peace,  205. 
Jute  Mill,  242. 

Kfiffn,  Wm.,  156. 

K(  ating,  Lieut.  F.,  149, 159, 16G,  279, 297. 

Kcaiinsr,  Michael,  290. 

Keeden,  Michael,  299. 

Kcefe,  John,  166. 

Keefe,  Thos.,  166. 

Keegan,  F.,  166. 

Keegan,  Francis.  302,  304. 

Keeler,  Daniel,  285. 

Keeler,  Edward,  302. 

Keeler,  Philip,  166,275. 

Kellogsr,  Giles  B.,  192. 

Kelly,  Jas.  F.,  231,  248,  302. 

Kelly,  John,  166. 

Kelly,  Michael,  166. 

Kelly,  Patrick,  160. 

Kelly,  Patrick  H.,  299. 

Kelly,  Thos.  F..  293. 

Kelly,  Thos.  H.,  304. 

Kemp,  James,  155. 

Kcndrick,  Edward  E.,  113. 

Kendrick,  P.,  84. 

Kendrick,  Thos.  H.,  98. 

Kcudrick,  Win.  W.,  275. 


INDEX. 


317 


Kennedy,  John,  305. 

Kennedy.  Patrick,  201. 

Kenney,  Echv'd,  156,  304. 

Kennuy,  Rev.  Ira  E.,  252. 

Kenny",  Thomas,  201. 

Keongli,  Matthew.  302. 

Keoaghan,  Patrick,  293. 

Ken-,  John,  277. 

Keveney,  Rev.  Thos.,  148,  176,  199,  254. 

Keveney,  Rev.  'I*.  S.,  244. 

Ketchel,  Samuel,  208. 

Kilmer,  Ir:i,  296. 

King.  John  M.,  40. 

Kimball,  Goo.  H.,  53. 

Kirnan.  M.  C.,  270. 

Kittle,  Joseph  C.,  98. 

Kinder,  Win.,  156. 

Knight,  Edward.  282. 

Knights  of  Pythias,  233,  263. 

Knitting  business,  growth  of,  78,  79. 

Knitting,  !>y  power,  invention  of.  61.  62. 

Knitting  machinery,  of  Cohoes  inven 
tors,  132,  133. 

Knitting  Mills,  condition  of  in  1874.  226  ; 
condition  of  in  1857,  134;  estab 
lished,  (51,  77,  111,  115.  127,  128,  131, 
132,  142.  174.  175.  176.  182.  190,  191, 
192,  198,  212,  218,  223;  sketch  of, 
243,  244;  statistics  of,  212,  213;  in 
panic  of  1873,  220,  221 ;  statistics  of 
inl853,  119;  statistics  of  in  1847,  87; 
statistics  of.  in  1855,128;  statistics 
of,  in  1876.  244. 

Knitting  needle  factory,  133,  192,  246. 

Knott,  (Jhas.,  246. 

Knower,  Bcnj.,  67. 

Knox,  Geo.,  11)6. 

Kolb,  Chas,  231. 

Labc.  Cilrm,  156. 

Lackey,  James,  156. 

Lacy,  Patrick,  156. 

Ladies    Aid    Society,    organized,    149 ; 

work  of,  151. 
Lake,  Hnlc-t,  60. 
Lally,  John,  292. 
Lal.y,  Michael,  289. 
Lamb,  D.  T.,  122,  143,  204,  247. 
Lamb,  James,  2i2,  244,  263,  299,  301. 
Lamb,  Levi  W.,  155. 
Lambert,  Wm.,  33. 
Lamcy,  Michael,  167. 
Lanaean,  Charles,  292. 
Lanahan,  John,  16(i. 
Lancaster  street,  226. 
Land,  John,  278,  298,  301. 
Land,  John  E.,  166,  303. 
Land,  John,  &  Sons,  198. 
Land,  Lewis  W.,  299. 
Landon,  Dr.  Henry  L.,  Ill,  133, 138,  140, 

272,  295,  296,  297. 
Landon,  Mr.,  113. 
Langtree,  John,  286. 
Lanigan,  M.,  166. 
Lanuigan,  Daniel,  156. 
Lannigan,  Thos.,  166. 
Lansing,  Abraham,  113,  280. 
Lansing,  Abram,  129,  148,  296. 
Lansing,  Abram  G..  26.  42,  45,  49,  110. 
Lansing,  Andrew,  28,  110. 
Lansing,  Andrew  D.,  113, 128. 


Lansing,  Col.  F..  76. 

Lansing,  Douw,  3*. 

Lansing,  Egbert  W.,  22,  301. 

Lansing,  Evert,  28. 

Lansing,  Evert  A..  270. 

Lansing,  P.  A.,  166. 

Lansing  families.  18,  21,  22,  24,  29,  32. 

Lansing,  Frans.  22. 

LansiiiLT,  Geiret.  20.  24,  29. 

Lansing,  Geiret  J.,  32. 

1  ansing,  Gerrct  R.,  143,  272. 

Lansing,  Henry.  20,  25. 

Lansing,  Isaac  D.  F..  24,  29,  51,  52,  109, 

113.  131.  143,  238,289. 
Lansing,  I.  W..  302. 
Lansing,  Jacob  11  ,25.  41. 
Lansing,  Jacob  I.,  74,  80.  98,  [110,  111, 

113,  114,  145.  289,  2!)6. 
Lansing,  Jacob  L..  38. 
Lansing,  James,  123. 
Lansing,  John,  22.  271. 
Lansing.  Joins  V.  S.,  22,   28,  138,  194, 

209,  216,  217.  244.  252,  297,  304. 
Lansing,  John  W..291. 
Lansing,  Levinus  S..  279. 
L'insing,  Myron  C..  290. 
Lansing,  Rutger,  24.  29,  33. 
Lansing.  Thomas,  72. 
Lansingbnrg  Bridge  Co.,  210. 
]  ansiiiiiburg.  bridge  to. 
Lar  Patrie  Nouvdle.  228,  249. 
1  arkii.s,  John,  114.  296. 
Larkins,  Michael.  114.  259. 
Larkins,  Thos.,  291,  302. 
La  Salic,  I'enry  E.,  133.  272. 
LaSalK  Rev.  J.  O.,  224,  254. 
Latta,  John,  166. 
Latta   John  B..  302. 
Latta,  Michael.  285. 
Latta,  Thos.,  166. 
Lnnghlin,  Hugh.  29\ 
Lan'ghlin.  Joseph.  292. 
Lauzon,  F.  X.,  288. 
T/Avenir  National,  223. 
Lawler,  Michael.  291. 
Lawrence,  Abram.  276. 
Lawrence,  Geo.,  29I>.  297,  293,  299. 
Lawrence,  Robt.  W.,  166. 
Lebard,  Frank,  155. 
Le  Bocut,  Francis,  155. 
Le  Boenf,  Joseph,  196,  301. 
Le  Boeur,  Louis  G.,  228,  305. 
Le  Boeuf,  Peter,  139. 
Lo  Bron,  &  Ives,  67. 
Lcckie,  Robert,  53,  272. 
Leckie,  Wm..  (53,  88,  110,  128,  151,  293. 
Lecture  course,  121. 
Lee,  John,  166. 
Lee.  Reuben,  263. 
Leffcrts,  Geo.,  166. 
Lefferts,  Geo.  Jr..  166. 
Leland,  D.  W.,  84,  272. 
Leonard,  Rev.  Jacob,  253. 
Leonard,  'I  imothy.  38. 
LeRoy,  Alfred,  210,222,  226,  244,  29?, 

302,  303,  305. 

Le  Roy,  Lamb  &  Co.,  212. 
Levison,  II.,  261. 

Lieverse  or  Lievense  family,  17,  18,  22. 
Lieverse,  Peter,  29. 
Ligtthall,  Nicholas,  71, 


318 


INDEX. 


Lighthall,  Wm.  K..  295,  296. 

Lime,  Cement  &  Plaster  Mill,  204. 

Lime  &  Cement  Mill,  247. 

Limerick,  Samuel,  156. 

Lincoln,  A.,  funeral  of,  158. 

Link,  John  A.,  194. 

Link,  Peter,  72. 

Link,  Wm.,  40,  54. 

Linnen,  Bernard,  305. 

Linnen,  Thos.,  166. 

Little,  John,  297. 

Lockhcacl,  Rev.  Wm.,  71,  252. 

Locks,  enlargement  of,  48,  49;  location 

of,  44,  45. 
Long,  John,  300. 
Long,  Michael,  167,  181,  299,  300. 
Long,  William,  166.  274. 
Longley,  Chas.  S.,  305. 
Longley,  Gideon.  71,  280. 
Lougliery,  Hugh;  166,  275. 
Lounsberry,  Charles,  167. 
Lounsberry,  Jas  ,  167. 
Lounsberry,  Nicholas  D.,  1GG,  279. 
Lounsbeiry,  Richard  D.,  299. 
Lounsberry,  Robt.,  167. 
Lovejoy,  Benjamin  F.,  289. 
Lovejoy,  Samuel  W.,  148,  289,  302.  303. 
Loveland  &  Palmer,  82,  105. 
Lowe,  Chas.,  166. 
Luckin,  James,  284. 
Ludden,  Rev.  John,  254. 
Luddy,  J.  B.,  228. 
Luffman,  John  D.,  85,  100. 
Lynch,  Bartholomew,  167. 
Lynch,  John,  166. 
Lynch,  John  A.,  155. 
Lynch,  Michael,  286. 
Lyon,  Heber  T.,  127. 
Lyons,  Anna,  176. 
Lyons.  Henry,  272,  285,  297. 
Lyons,  John,  148,  283,  298. 

McAlear,  Echvd.  J.,  304. 
M'Alpine,  Wm.  J.,  70. 
McArdle,  Edward,  289. 

McCabe, ,  168. 

MTaUa,  Alex.,  98. 
McCarthy,  Edward,  298. 
McCarthy,  James,  277. 
McCarthy.  John.  168,  277. 
McCarty,  John,  167. 
McClary,  Bernard,  288. 
McClcarv,  Daniel  B.,  168,290. 
McCormlck,  John,  168.  290. 
McCormick,  Patrick,  293. 
McCready,  Edward,  168,  194,  262. 
McCready,  Geo.  B..  167. 
McCready,  John,  167. 
McCulloch,  Chas.,  167,  262. 
McCulloch,  J.,  302. 
McCulloch,  John,  299.  302. 
McCulloch,  William.  167. 
McCusker.  John,  167. 
McCoun,  John,  155. 
McLean,  Archibald,  286. 
McUermott,  John,  141,  181. 
McDcrmott,  Owen,  289. 
McDermott,  Patrick,  167. 
McDonald,  D.  1'.,  90. 
McDonald,  Frederick,  168. 
McDonald,  James,  167. 


McDonough,  Thomas,  293. 

McDowell,  Geo.  H.,  264. 

McDowell,  Robert,  167. 

McElroy,  Alex.,  156. 

McElwain  avenue,  229. 

McElwain,  Daniel,  88,  141,  175,  191,  301. 
305. 

McEnerny.  John,  98,  140. 

McEntce,  Patrick,  84,  271. 

McEvenia,  Peter,  300. 

McEwan,  John,  263,  305. 

McGafferny,  James.  156. 

McGaffin,  James,  167,  288. 

McGaffin,  John,  167,  274. 

McGarrahan,  M.,  304. 

McGarry,  Robt.,  302. 

McGill,  John,  107,  113,  295,  296. 

McGovern,  Robt.,  167. 

McGrail,  Michael,  293. 

McGrath,  Pat'k,  299,  300. 

McGray,  Timothy.  114. 

McGuire,  John,  155.  168. 

McGuire,  M.,  302. 

McGuire,  Michael.  156,  302,  303. 

McGuire,  Thos.,  168. 

McGtiirk,  Chas.,  155. 

McGuirk,  James,  302.  303,  304. 

Mclntosh,  Daniel,  156,  2iiO.  304. 

McTntos)),  Daniel  E.,  298,  299,  300. 

Mclntosh  Hose  Co.,  232,  259. 

Mclntosh,  John,  273. 

McKee,  Alonzo  J.,  281. 

McKee,  .las.  B.,  178,  226,  300,  302,  304. 

McKee,  Pat.  J.,  305. 

McKernan,  M.,  102,  105. 

McKinnon,  William  R.,  167. 

McLuckey,  David,  286. 

McMahoii,  Patrick,  167. 

McManus,  James,  167. 

McMar,  Frank,  156. 

Me  Martin,  James,  147,  247. 

McMillan,  Wm.  A.,  286. 

McMullen,  .  168. 

McMullen,  John,  299. 

McMurray,  James,  155. 

McNamara,  Thomas,  290. 

McNiven,  John,  260. 

McNiven,  Malcolm,  263. 

McPhail,  Malcolm,  263. 

McTigne,  Thomas,  291. 

McVey,  Patrick,  167. 

McWha,  Alex.,  296. 

Maby.  Wm.,  259. 

Machine  shop,  57,  82,  101,  128,  219;  es 
tablished,  175,  199;  statistics  of 
1876,  246. 

Magee,  Edw'd,  288. 

Magnire,  Samuel,  156. 

Maliar,  Daniel,  289. 

Mahar,  John,  167. 

Mahar,  Thos.,  155. 

Mahon,  John  C..  286. 

Main  street,  43,  116,  204. 

Maitland,  James,  273. 

Maitland,  Robert,  285. 

Maitland,  Samuel,  274. 

Major,  Rev.  John  W.,  33. 

Malany,  Patrick,  276. 

Mallery,  Willard,  167. 

Mallery,  Wright,  58,  159,  287,  298. 

Mangham,J.,  168,  278. 


INDEX. 


319 


Mangham,  Michael,  167. 

Mann,  Francis  N.,  191. 

Manning,  Daniel  P.,  167, 179,  302. 

Manning,  Egbert  A.,  167. 

Manning,  James  F.,  167. 

Manning,  Wm.,  98,  106,  121,  159,  167, 
193 

Manor  avenue,  15. 

Mansfield,  L.  W.,  131,  174,  225,  270. 

Mansfield,  Wm.  P.,  270. 

Mansfield  &  Hay,  131. 

Manton,  James,  270. 

Mauton,  Patrick,  168. 

Manton,  Peter,  149,  153,  175,  189,  279, 
299,  300. 

Manufacturers'  Bank,  209,  249. 

Manufactures,  statistics  of,  81,  86,  87, 
119,  120,  147,  205,  213;  in,  1876,  242, 
to  248. 

Marshall,  P.  E.,  303,  304. 

Marshall,  Rev.  L.  13.,  253. 

Martin,  Wm.,  268. 

Masonic  organizations,  260. 

Masta,  Peter,  155. 

Hasten,  James  H.,  139,  148,  181,  225, 
248,  250,  251,  298,  301,  303,  304. 

Mastodon,  discovery  of,  185  to  189. 

"Mastodon  Mill,"  commenced,  185; 
completed,  195;  exiension  com 
pleted,  211. 

Mather,  Geo.,  167,  261. 

Maxwell,  John,  131,  133. 

Mayhew,  Geo.,  168. 

Mayhew,  Geo.  Sr.,  167. 

Maynarcl,  Rev.  W.  H.,  180,  253. 

Mead,  Wm.  H.,  273. 

Meads.  John  N.,  275. 

Meagher,  Michael,  305. 

Mechanic's  Savings  Bank,  217,  250. 

Medical  Society,  Cohoes,  263. 

Meeker,  Rev.  W.  H.,  253,  260. 

Meikleharn,  Robt.,  288. 

Melahy,  Michael,  167. 

Meredith,  Rev.  R.  R.,  253. 

Mcrrifield,  R.,  119. 

Methodist  church,  54,  92;  organized, 
71;  built,  73;  41,  101;  dedicated, 
145;  history  of,  253;  Park  church, 
254;  the  present,  commenced,  141. 

Miggins,  James,  156,  167. 

Milestones,  location  of,  41. 

Military  companies,  262. 

Miller,  E.  L..  59. 

Mill  r,  Geo.  W.,  98,  268.  296. 

Miller,  Jacob  W.,  84,  88,  93,  118,  148, 149, 
281. 

Miller,  John  A.,  98. 

Miller,  Lyman,  167. 

Miller,  Mrs.,  farm  of,  29. 

Miller,  Stephen  C..  102,  110,  283. 

Miller,  Wesley,  264,  304,  305. 

Miller  &  Van  Santvooid's  Block,  92. 

Mills,  E.  A.,  263. 

Mills,  Henry.  21)0. 

Mills,  John  W.,  288. 

Mills's  saw  mill,  81. 

Mills,  Wm.,  167. 

Mills  &  McMartin,  147. 

Mink,  Geo.,  254. 

Mirault.  Joseph,  291. 

Mitchell,  John,  155. 


Mohawk  Engine  Co.,  organized,  114. 
Mohawk  mill,  120,  190,  244  ;  built,  92  ; 

destroyed,  223. 

Mohawk  River  Mills,  127,  132. 
Mohawk  street,  204,  229 ;  line  of,   143, 

144;  paved, 219. 
Mokler,  James,  293. 
Molamphy,  Hugh,  167. 
Molamphy,  Rocly,  167. 
Monahon,  Arthur,  293. 
Monahon,  M.,  148,  151, 159,  185,  281,  300. 
Monk,  Oliver,  167. 
Monk,  Edward,  168,  217,  249,  305. 
Monk,  Geo.,  168,  290. 
Monk,  J.  H.,  168. 
Monogue,  John,  293. 
Monroe,  Gordon,  168. 
Mooney,  Daniel,  167. 
Mooney,  Peter,  167. 
Mooney,  Peter  B.,  168. 
Mooney,  Thomas,  168. 
Moore,  Dr.  J.  W.,  168,  209,  246,  263,  299. 
Moore,  Joseph,  285. 
Moore,  John,  167. 
Moore,  Patrick  H.,  98. 
Moore,  Robt.  B.,  114. 
Moore,  S.  C.,  114. 

Moore,  Thomas  at  Cohoes,  12,  13,  14. 
Moore,  Timothy,  156,  301,  304. 
Moore,  Wm.,  182,  210,  212,  215,  218,  244. 
Moore  <fc  Killer,  1S2,  196. 
Moran,  James,  168. 
Moran,  Peter,  114. 
Morehead,  Jas.  M.,  212. 
Morris,  David,  247,  302,  303. 
Morris,  G.  M..  127. 
Morrison.  Col  we  11  &  Page,  179,  245. 
Morrison,  Henry,  300. 
Morrison,  James,  212,  245. 
Morrison,  William,  167. 
Mouselin  dc  lainc  Block,  82. 
Moulthrop,  John,  303. 
Moulthrop,  John  B.,  289. 
Mudge,  Joseph,  63,  71,  74,  267. 
Mulcahy,  B.,  180,  301. 
Mnlcahy,  Win.,  156. 
Muldowney,  Chas.,  299. 
Mulholland,  Michat-1,  289. 
Muller,  Conrad,  224. 
Mullin,  Thomas,  290. 
Munro,  Duncan,  194  303. 
Munro.  Thos..  168. 
Murphey,  Thos.  A..  167,  302,  303,  304. 
Murphy,  Martin,  167. 
Murphy,  William,  167,  292. 
Murphy,  Patrick  K.,  290. 
Murray,  Edward,  296. 
Murray,  Henry,  167. 
Murray,  James.  260. 
Murray,  M.,  167. 
Murray,  Michael,  167. 
Murray,  Peter,  305. 
Musgrove,  A.  C.,  152,  lt>8,  278. 
Music  Ha1.!  Block,  225. 
Mussey,  E.  G.,  83,  260,  296,  300. 
Myer,  Rev.  GilbertM.  P.,  252. 

Naery,  Peter,  168. 
Na<.rle,  P.,  302. 
Nagle,  Richard,  302. 
Nagle,  Thos.,  299. 


320 


INDEX. 


Ncnloy,  Chn?.,  260. 

Neary,  Patrick,  279. 

Neil,  Gco.,  2(J1. 

Nelliiran,  Win.,  302. 

Ncllis,  W.  H.,  257. 

Nelson,  Nichol.-is,  168. 

Nelson,  Peter,  254. 

Newark  street,  opened,  111. 

Newby,  Thos.,  303. 

Newppapers,  established,  83,  185,  203, 

217,  228;  changes,  99, 102,180,248,249. 
Nichols,  A.,  168. 
Nichols,  Edward,  155,  168. 
Nile?,  Wm.  W.,  241. 
Niskayuna,  15,  10,  17,  19,  33. 
Niver,  Peter  P.,  141,  147,  156,  175,  233, 

297,  303,  304,  305. 
Nolan,  John,  2(52. 
Nolan,  John,  B.,  168. 
Nolan  Steamer  Co.,  259. 
Nol.-in,  Thos.,  231,  300,  303,  304. 
Nolan,  W.  H.,  262. 
Noonan,  Michael,  303. 
Noonan,  Wm.,  277. 
Normile,  Dennis,  291. 
North,  Chas.  P.,  178.  221,  301,  304. 
North,  Norris.  142,  299,  302, 
North  Mohawk  St,.,   See  Crescent  road. 
Northern  IIeralcl,Thc,  228,  249. 
Notrhside,  52. 
Norton,  Geo.  H..  168,  262. 
Norton,  Hiram  C,,  168. 
Norton,  William  P.,  168. 
Not  man.  James,  168. 
Novelty  Works,  120. 
Nugent,  Dune),  271,  300. 
Nugent,  Thos.,  168. 
Nugent,  Wm.,  284. 
Nut  factory,  192. 
Nuttall,  John  A.,  244. 
Nut  tall,  Samuel,  194. 
Nnttali,  Thomas.  156. 
Nuttall,  Wm.,  139,  208,  244 
Nuttall,  Wm.  &  Co.,  196. 

O'Brien,  Cha«.,  74,  88,  271. 

O'Brien,  J.,  168. 

O'Brien,  James.  300. 

O'Brien,  John.  3  0. 

O'Biien,  Michael,  169. 

O'Brien,  Patrick,  169.279. 

O'Brien,  Timothy,  293. 

O'Bru-n.  William.  169. 

O'Day,  Simon,  1(18,  277. 

O'Day,  Tnos.,  o04. 

OT)  .iinel,  Thos.,  168. 

OMIare,  Hugh,  168.  300. 

O'llare,  James,  153,  159,  168. 

CVHnre,  M.,  137. 

O'Heam,  Timothy.  168. 

O'Keele,  Cornelius,  -J89. 

O'Leary.,  Cornelius,  189. 

O'Ni-il,"  Bernard,  281. 

O'Neil,  J.,301. 

O'Neil,  John,  168.  287. 

O'Neil.  Thos.,  168. 

O'Keillv.  Edward,  148,  276,  290. 

Odd  Fellows.  2IH. 

O-den  Mills,  86.  119,  242;  building  of, 
80,  81,  82  ;  Co.  lormed,  M  :  enlarged, 
17'J;  sold,  146;  strike  in,  103, 136. 


Oliver  Bros.,  190. 

Oliver,  John,  270.1 

Olmstead,  Francis,  48,  67,  240. 

Olmstcad,  G.  T.,  97. 

Ohn«tccl,  Clias.  A.,  63,  64,  76,  81,  82,  85, 

83,  91.  93,  95,  96,  97,  100,  105,   113, 

137,  143,  240,  295. 
Omnibus  bill,  230. 
Onderdonk,  A.  F.,  248. 
Oneida  stiver,  40,  55, 116, 225;  paved,  219. 
Ontario  street,  225 ;  arched,  80, 116, 225 ; 

opening  of,  191. 
Orchard  street,  226. 
Orciitt,  Oilmen,  273. 
Orelup,  Chas.  W.,  155,  283. 
Orelup,  John,  74,295. 
Orelup,  Win.  Jr.,  140,  260,  274,  295,  297, 

298. 

Orelup,  Wm.  Sen..  273,  296. 
Oriskany  street,  204. 
Osterhout,  A.  A.,  286. 
Osterhout,  Henry,  168. 
Osterhout,  Henry  O.,277. 
Osterhout,  Wm.,274,  295,296,  300. 
Ostrauder,  Lorenzo,  168. 
Ostrom,  Abram.  295. 
Ostrom,  D.  S.,  300. 
Oudcrkirk  family,  18,  21. 
Overpaugh,  I.  F.,  98. 
Ovcrpamrh,  I.  F.  &  Childs,  105. 
Owen,  Edward  H.,  276. 
Owen,  S.,  153,  155, 16!),  253,  262,  303,304, 
Owen,  Silas,  Sen.,  71. 
Owens,  John,  292. 

Packard,  Edward,  279. 

Padley.  Wm.,  274. 

Page,  Edward  N.,  179,  245,  302. 

P;ige,  Ji  hn,  281. 

Page,  Thomas,  263,  291. 

Paint  mill  burned,  91. 

Paisley,  John,  169. 

Paisley,  Thos.,  169. 

Palmer,  Win   T.,  82,  98,  105,  111. 

Panic,  of  1857,  effects  of,  134,  135,  136; 

of  1873,  efiects  of,  220,  221,  236. 
Paper  box  manufacture,    commenced, 

179;  statistics  of,  247. 
Paper  mill,    of   Gerret  Clutc,  40,    45; 

built  and    rebuilt,  173 ;    enlarged, 

179;  sold,  211. 
Parker,  John.  11(5. 
Parker,  Joseph,  155. 
Parker,  Kossuth,  293. 
P.irkcr,  J)r.  Tlios,  S.,  263. 
Parker,  William,  ifll. 
Park  Methodist  Church,  254. 
Parks,  James,  169. 
Parks,  Robert,  169 

Parkhurst,  Darin-,  88,  98,  113,  260,  296. 
Parkhtirst,  Orson,  75,  260,  296. 
ParUhttrst,  O.  &  D.,  80,  87,  93,  100,  120. 
Parmelee,  Elias,38. 
Parmelee  Engine  Co.,  98,  113. 
Parsons,  J.  H.,  146. 
Parsons  &  Co.  J.  H.,  192,  215,  244. 
Parsons,  L.  S.,  127,  128,  14(5,  149,  151, 

152,  276. 

Partridge,  John.  280. 
Pattengill,  li.-v.  H.,  253. 
Puttric,  Sjlvian,  155. 


INDEX. 


321 


Paul,  A.,  175. 

Pavement,  laid,  203,  219,  236. 

Paxton,  Thos.,  169. 

Pease,  Chas.  S.,  249. 

Pease,  Theo.  W.,  305. 

Pease,  Rev.  L.  H.,  253. 

Peck,  Abrara,  139,  255. 

Peck,  A.  G.,  245. 

Peck,  B.  R.,  105,  120. 

Peck,  William,  169. 

Peebles,  Gerret,  37,  38. 

Peerless  Mills,  212. 

Penfold,  Wm.,  273. 

Penniman,  Wm.  C.,  39. 

Penniman,  Sy^vanus  J.,  38. 

Pcnnock,  Artemus,  156. 

Peunock,  F.  E.,  247,  297. 

People's  Railway  Guide,  249. 

Perham,  C.  O.,  114. 

Perham  &  Pettis,  88. 

Perry,  John  D.,  270. 

Pettis,  H.  N.,  114,  271. 

Peverly,  Lidclell,  271. 

Phelps,  Alfred,  43,  54,96,112,179,  278, 
295, 296. 

Phelps,  A.  L.,  85. 

Phelps,  Francis,  192. 

Phelps,  Russell,  63. 

Phillips,  Joseph,  286. 

Pickering,  Moses,  181. 

Pierce,  John,  38. 

Pierson,  John,  292. 

Fillings,  Thomas,  255. 

Pin  factory,  established,  127  ;  moved, 
142 ;  new  building  for,  207. 

Pindar,  Thos.,  169. 

Pine  Grove  mill,  219,  244. 

Pine  street,  103. 

Pipe  factory,  212;  enlarged,  235;  sta 
tistics  of,  246. 

Pitcher,  D.,  169. 

Pitcher,  Rev.  Wm.,  33, 110. 

Place,  Jas.  E.,  245,  300. 

Plank  road  built,  106. 

Plantz,  Geo.  H.,  169. 

Plaster  mill.    See  Lime. 

Plate,  M.,  259. 

Pohlman,  Rev.  Dr.,  141. 

Police,  force  established,  181;  change 
in,  202. 

Police  justice  elected,  112. 

Pomeroy,  Rev.  Benj.,253. 

Poole,  Abram,  302. 

Poor,  overseer  of,  205,  209. 

Porter,  Albert,  261. 

Porter,  Jonathan  G.,  169. 

Porter  &  Hall,  137. 

Post  Lyon,  G.  A.  R.,  232,  262. 

Post  Office  established,  58;  burned, 84; 
history  of,  250. 

Potter,  Lewis,  169. 

Potter,  Rev.  L.,  253. 

Powers,  David,  169. 

Powers,  Peter,  296,  300. 

Powers,  Richard,  189,  301. 

Powers,  R.  J.,  305. 

Prairie,  John,  290. 

Presbyterian  church.  92, 101 ;  organized, 
72 :  enlarged,  199  ;  history  of,  253. 

Prescott,  Col.,  39.  46. 

Prescott,  Joseph  B.,  98. 

41 


Pruyn,  Robert  H.,  118. 
Pulver,  W.  H.,  169. 
Pnmpelly  H  ,  113,  119. 
Puunett,  Henry,  67. 
Purely,  John,  156. 
Putnam,  Lewis,  169. 
Pynes,  Thos.,  169. 

Quackeubush,  Isaac,  84,  85,   139,  148, 

'     178,  297. 

Quillinan,  Dennis  F.,  292. 
Qmnan,  John,  303. 
Quintan,  Patrick,  291. 
Quinliven,  Michael,  169. 
Quirk,  John,  304. 

Rabbi  tt,  James,  304. 

Rabbitt,  Pat'k,  156. 

liadclifte,  Aaron,  293. 

Rafferty,  John,  169,  279. 

Rail  Road,  Troy  &  Schenectady,  73,  74, 
88, 114;  Albany  &  Cohoes,  proposed, 
100,  101;  opened,  117,  118;  trains 
to  Troy,  219. 

Railway  Guide,  249. 

Ranken,  Henry  S.,  192,  244. 

Ranken  Knitting  Co.,  191, 244. 

Ranken,  Hugh,  191. 

Ranken,  Wm.  J.,  192. 

Raymond,  Rev.  H.  A.,  33. 

Raynsford,  Norton  T.,  271,  296. 

Reamer,  Benj.,  33. 

Reavy,  Frank  C.,  301,  302,  303. 

Recorder,  205,  209,  230,  231. 

Recruiting.    See  Enlistments. 

Redmond,  J.,  169. 

Redmond,  Martin,  258,  301. 

Redmond,Michnel,  169, 231, 262,  300, 304. 

Reed,  Rev.  V.  D.,  148,  253. 

Reed,  William,  169. 

Reeves,  Patrick,  292. 

Reeves,  Terrence,  302. 

Reformed  Dutch  church,  organized,  71 ; 
destroyed,  140;  rebuilt,  141;  dedi 
cated,  145  ;  history  of,  252. 

Reinhart,  H.  S.,  288. 

Reinhart,  Harvey,  169. 

Rein  sen,  Peter,  48,  65,  67. 

Remsen  street,  55,  73, 103,  116, 204,  225, 
226;  arched,  80,  116;  extension  of, 
proposed, 110  ;  paved, 203,  236  ;  ex 
tension  of,  233. 

Rensselaerswyck,  Manor  of,  15,  20. 

Renwick,  Wm.,  71. 

Reservoir,  estimates  for,  129;  author 
ized,  195;  commenced,  131;  com 
pleted,  139,  203. 

Revolutionary  war,Cohoessoldiersin,32. 

Reynolds,  John,  169. 

Rhodes,  Mr.,  71. 

Richard,  Henry,  169. 

Richmond,  Alexander,  289. 

Richmond,  Elbert  E.,  258. 

Richmond,  John,  181. 

Rider,  Alfred,  298. 

Rider,  Earl  D.,  169. 

Ride  r,  Geo.  B.,  155. 

Rider,  Henry  C.,114. 

Rignor,  Alfred,  169. 

Riley,  C.,  245. 

Riley,  Hugh,  169. 


322 


INDEX. 


Riley,  James,  169. 
Riley,  Jeremiah,  169. 
Riley,  Lawrence,  169. 
Riley,  Matthew,  277. 
Ring,  John  H.,  801, 302. 
Riverside  Mill,  182, 190. 
Roach  &  Jones,  59. 
Ro'ibins   Garret,  299. 
Robbins,  Henry  E.,  98. 
Roberts,  Henry,  169,  263. 
Roberts,  Wm.,  169. 
Roberts,  Wm.  Jr.,  49. 
Robertson,  John,  156. 
R  >binson,  James,  169. 
Robinson,  Joseph,  169. 
Robinson,  Mr.,  54. 
Rock  Alley,  103. 
Rockfellow,  Henry,  74. 
Rockwell,  A.  F.,  98. 
Rogers,  Chas.,  300. 
Rogers,  Patrick,  61,  247. 
Rogers's  Block,  219. 
Rogers's  Woolen  mill,  81. 
Rogerson,  Robt.,  297. 
Rolling  mill,  124,  179;  statistics  of,  245. 
Rollowine,  Frederick,  169. 
Rooney,  Bryan,  169. 
Root,  A.  J.,  146,  191,  216,  244. 
Root,  J.G.,  127, 140, 146;  &  Sons,146,  244. 
Root,  S.  G.,  146,  194,  244,  299. 
Roofs  mill,  149,  244  ;  burned,  222  ;  re 
built,  223. 

Rose,  Dr.  Ira  B.,  283. 
Ross,  Patrick  H.,  288,  803. 
Rossiter,  John,  299,  300. 
Rounce,  Rev.  H.,  252. 
Round,  Rev.  D.,  110,252. 
Rousseau,  Joseph,  291. 
Roy's  butt  factory,  81. 
Runkle,  Isaac  F.,  114. 
Russell,  Anthony,  300. 
Russell,  James,  169. 
Russell,  John,  169,  286. 
Russell,  Joseph,  169. 
Russell,  W.  D.,  84. 
Ryan,  Bernard,  304,  305. 
Ryan,  Dennis,  290. 
Ryan,  Edward,  156,292. 
Ryan,  James,  169,  281. 
Ryan,  Michael,  285. 
Ryan,  Patrick,  293. 
Ryan,  Peter,  291. 
Ryan,  Thomas,  231,  284,  304. 
Ryan,  William,  293. 

St.  Bernard's  church,  organized,  $1 ; 
completed,  188;  damaged,  229;  par 
sonage  of,  199;  the  present,  com 
menced,  176  ;  history  of,  254. 

St.  Bernard's  T.  A.  B.  Society,  261. 

St.  Charles,  L.,  263. 

St.  George  Society,  263. 

St.  Jean  Baptiste  Society,  233,  263. 

St.  John,  Chas.  E.,  98. 

St.  John,  H.,  64. 

St.  John's  Brotherhood,  263. 

St.  John's  church,  organized,  56,  57 ; 
built,  60  ;  alterations  in,  145  ;  open 
ing  of,  205 ;  history  of,  252. 

St.  Joseph's  church,  commenced,  196  ; 
dedicated,  199;  hist.,254;  rebuilt,  224. 


St.  Joseph's  Union,  264. 

St.  Onge,  Treffle,  170. 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  262. 

Safely,  Dr.  A.  F.,  170,  282. 

Safely,  James,  71. 

Safely,  Robert,  64,  140,  198. 

Sager,  Alexander,  170. 

S;iger,Staats  A.,  170. 

Sailors.  See  Soldiers. 

Salisbury,  James,  82. 

Sanborn,  Lorenzo  1).,  155,  261. 

Sanders,  Jerome,  283. 

Sanderson,  John,  260. 

Sanford,  J.  C.,  247. 

Saratoga  street,  225,  226 ;  surveyed,  49. 

Sargent  street,  paved,  219. 

Sash  &  blind  factory,  82,  87,  105,  120, 

137,  142,  246. 

Saugonv  Kev.  L.  H.,  196,  199,  254,  283. 
Sauit,  Samuel,  249,261,  262. 
Savings  Bank,  Mechanics,  250;  organ 
ized,  217. 

Savings  Institution,  Cohoes,  249 ;  incor 
porated,  113;  opened, 119. 

Savoid,  Lewis,  114. 

Saw  Mill,  Hugh  White's,  57,  68;  Lan 
sing's,  29,  45;  of  Hawes  &  Baker, 
65;  of  Mills,  81. 

Saw  works,  146. 

Sawyer,  Mason.  61. 

Saxe,  John  T.,  247. 

Sayres,  John,  46,  50. 

Scheuck,  P.  H.,  67. 

Schermerhorn,  Barent  C.,  286. 

Schenectady,  9,  11,17. 

Schmidt,  Paul,  286. 

School  act  of  1850,  106. 

School  established,  40,  50. 

School  houses  built,  40,  93, 126, 199,  204, 
255,  256. 

Schools,  changes  in,  106;  organization 
of,  in  1851,113;  in  1855,  125,126;  in 
1876,  256 ;  sketch  of,  255  to  258. 

School  teachers,  256. 

Schoonmaker,  John,  71. 

Schouten,  Wm.,  69. 

Schroeder,  Henry,  288. 

Schuyler,  Col.,  25. 

Schuyler,  Philip,  27. 

Scofield,  Joseph,  170. 

Schofield,  William,  293. 

Scott,  Jas.  D.,  263. 

Scott,  John,  132,  218,  244,  304. 

Scott,  Lemuel,  142,  274, 

Scott,  Roger,  170. 

Scott,  Thos.,  155,  304,  305. 

Scott,  Wm.,  170. 

Scott  &  Stewart,  214. 

Scovill,  Chas.,  170. 

Screw  factory,  38,  39,  41,  46. 

Scully,  Daniel,  281. 

Scully,  John,  301,  302,  303. 

Scully,  John  H.,  170. 

Scully,  M.  H.,  170. 

Scully,  Patrick,  156. 

Seaport,  Christ'an,  170. 

Searles,  William,  289. 

Seelye,  Seth,  38. 

Seiler,  Daniel,  156. 

Selleck,  Nathaniel,  271. 

Senator,  from  Cohoes,  305. 


INDEX. 


323 


Seneca  street  bridge,  109. 

Sewers  constructed,  204,  226,  229. 

Sexton,  Rev.  H.  L.,  253. 

Seymour,  Geo.  R..  176. 

Shackleford,  Rev.  J.  W.,  252. 

Shaffer,  Fred.,  170. 

Shannon,  James,  71,  74. 

Shannon,  Richard,  170,  302. 

Shannon,  Wm.,  98,  114,  149,  150,  151, 

153,  159,  170,  277,  297,  300. 
Sharp,  Absalom,  170,  288,  302,  303. 
Shaughnessy,  John,  170. 
Shaver,  Nathan,  261,  304. 
Shaw,  Albert,  170. 
Shaw,  Christopher,  170. 
Shaw,  Isaac,  170. 
Sheehan,  Jones  &  Ryan,  220,  222. 
Sheehan,  Michael,  303,  304. 
Shepard,  Chas.,  170. 
Shepard,  Edward,  175. 
Shepard,  Henry,  114. 
Shepard,  Joseph,  170. 
Shepherd,  H.  D  ,  282. 
Sheppard,  Henry,  304. 
Sheridan,  Bernard,  170. 
Sheridan,  Patrick,  298. 
Sheridan,  Wm.,  155. 
Sherlock,  Michael,  302. 
Shields,  John,  170. 
Shields,  Peter,  170. 
Shields,  Thos.,  170. 
Shipley,  Geo.,  170,  277. 
Ship  street,  234. 
Shires,  Geo.,  279. 
Short,  John,  290. 
Shortsleeves,  John,  170. 
Shortsleeves,  Joseph,  170. 
Shovel  factory,  41. 
Sidewalks,  bad  condition  of,  107  ;  laid, 

116,  142. 

Silcocks,  John  E.,  171. 
Sill,  James  M.,  140,  249. 
Siiliman,  H.  B.,  102, 106,  123,  131,  135, 

139,  148, 149,  150,  153,  154,  181, 194, 

195,  208,  209,  217,  248,  253,  267,  283, 

301,  302. 

Siiliman,  Levi,  64, 70, 72,  80, 81,  245,  267. 
Silliman,  Mrs.  Clarissa,  72. 
Sillhiiau's  Block,  92. 
Simmons,  Baltheus,  71,  270. 
Simmons,  Daniel,  64,  71,  87,  113,  115, 

120,  133,  134,  136,  140,  141,  245,  273. 
Simmons,  Geo.  E..  303,  304. 
Simmons's  Island,  37  ;  dyke  to,  built, 

141. 
Simmons,  Jonas,  124,  175,  179,  267,  29 

298. 

Simons,  Chas.  E.,  261. 
Simons,  J.  A.,  114,  177,  282,  295. 
Simons  &  Ives,  114. 
Simpson,  Clark,  170. 
Simpson,  Daniel,  156,  194,  259,  286,  298, 

300,  301,  302. 
Simpson,  Frank,  305. 
Simpson,  John  F.,  299. 
Simpson,  Joseph,  298. 
Siucl.iir,  Wm.,  C>7. 
Sinophy,  Matthew,  156. 
Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  145,  146. 
Sitterly,  Abram,  170. 
Bitterly,  G.,  170. 


Sitterly,  Henry,  170. 

Sitterly,  Martin,  170. 

Skating  Parks,  174,  175. 

Skinkle,  Chas.,  261. 

Skinkle,  Wm.  L.,  170. 

Slater,  James,  170. 

Slater,  Samuel,  268. 

Slaveholding,  30,  31. 

Slavin,  John,  304. 

Slavin,  Thos.,  302,  303. 

Slocum,  De  Witt  D.,  270. 

Slocum,  G.  A.,  97. 

Slocum,  G.  J.,  90. 

Slocum,  Stephen,  123,  278. 

Slocum  &  Granger,  75. 

Smead,  Win.,  156,  299. 

Smith,  Abram  L.,280. 

Smith,  Albert,  212;  &  Co.,  235,    246. 

Smith,  A.  W.,  170. 

Smith,  Benj.,  260. 

Smith,  Gregory  &  Co.,  132. 

Smith,  Harvey,  190. 

Smith,  John  H.,  170. 

Smith,  Martin,  171. 

Smith,  Michael,  170. 

Smith,  Nicholas  W.,  271. 

Smith,  Peter,  296,  298. 

Smith,  Peter  M.,  274. 

Smith,  R.  G.,300. 

Smith,  Thos.,  303. 

Smith,  Waterman,  146. 

Smith,  Wm.,  132,  155,  282. 

Smith,  Wm.  S.,  187,  194,  217,  243,  250, 

255,  298,  299,  300. 
Snell,  Joseph,  170. 
Soap  factory,  147,  247. 
Social  singing  in  Mansfield's  Mill,  174 ; 

in  Music  Hall,  225. 
Sofa  factory,  82,  87. 
Soldiers,  letters  from,   152;  return  of, 

153, 154 ;  enlistment  of,  149, 150, 156, 

157 ;  list  of,  160-172. 
Solon,  Louis,  155. 
Sons  of  Scotia,  262. 
Soup  house  established,  136. 
Southworth,  Wm.  S.,291. 
Spafford,  Horatio,  39. 
Spain,  Roger,  170. 
Spanier,  Louis,  127. 
Spanswick,  Chas.,  254. 
Specie,  scarcity  ol.  153. 
Spencer,  A.  C.,  194. 
Spencer,  John  M.,  290,  299. 
Spor,  Rev.  Alpheus,  148,  252. 
Sprague,  Otis,  50,  57. 
Sprinkling  cart,  137. 
Staats,  Francis  S.,  156,  181. 
Stacy,  D.  II.,  170. 
Stage  line,  change  in,  114;  established, 

44,  70,  89,  90 ;  sold,  177. 
Station  House,  location  of,  181. 
Stauton,Rev.  R.  P.,  253. 
Stauton,  Thomas,  293. 
Stanton,  Wm.,  217,  240,  298,  299,  300, 

302,  304. 

Stapleton,  John,  170. 
Star  Knitting  Co.,  190,  244. 
Stark  mill  burned,  214. 
Starks,  Rev.  H.  L.,  180,  253. 
Steam  fire  engines  presented  to  village 

193, 194  ;  purchase  of,  proposed,  181 


324 


INDEX. 


Stebbins,  A.  S.,  194,  263. 

Stebbins,  Rev.  Cyrus,  252. 

Stcele,  Rev.  John  B.,  33. 

Steenbonr,  John  P.,  74,  84,  95,  286,  295, 

296,  297,  298. 
Steenberg,  Marvin,  170. 
Steenberg,  Samuel,  300. 
Steer,  G.,  119. 
Stephens,  Joseph,  156. 
Stevens,  C.  A.,  88. 
Stevens,  James  K.,  170,  278. 
Stevens,  John, 170. 
Stevenson,  Elihu  M.,  59,  114,  296. 
Stevenson,  Geo.,  170. 
Stevenson,  James,  67. 
Stevenson,  John,  59,  63. 
Stevenson,  Wm.  H.,  299,  300. 
Steves,  O.  P.,  257. 
Stewart,  Geo.  H.,  143,  204. 
Stewart,  John,  38,  101. 
Stewart.  Joseph,  132,  304 
Stiles,  Eclair  H.,  304. 
Stiles,  Samuel,  271,  276. 
Stiles,  Sherebiah,  178,  298,  301,  303. 
Stimson,  A.  E.,  127,  279. 
Stimson,  E.  L.,  127,  178,  209. 
Stimson,  Jas.  A.,  259,  262,  303. 
Stinson,  S.  Edward,  216. 
Stone,  Almon  E.,  152. 
Stone,  Nathan,  277. 
Stone,  Rawson,  194. 
Stone,  Winsor,  127,  174. 
Storer,  Chas.,  170. 
Stover,  Rev.  Ensign,  253,  281. 
Stoves,  manufacture  of,  70. 
Stow,  Chauncey,  102,  248,  276. 
Stow,  Christopher  C.,  273. 
Stow,  Dennis,  276. 
Straw  Board  Factory,  128,  143. 
Straw  Board  Mill,  statistics  of,  246. 
Street  lamps  erected,  116. 
Strikes  in  1857.   136;  in  Ogden  Mills, 

105,  136 ;  scarcity  of,   226,  236. 
Strong  Mill.  86,  119,  128,  243;  building 

of,  81;  burned,  123;  sold,  182. 
Strover,  Geo.,  63. 
Sullivan,  John,  296. 
Sullivan,  Wm.,  281. 
Sumner,  Clark,  50. 
Sunday   School,  the   first,  57;    H.  H. 

Union,  123,   187,  255.     See  also  in 

hist,  of  churches. 
Sunnyside  Mill,  212. 
Swart,  S.  M.,98. 
Swart/,  John  B.,  170. 
Swartz,  John  J  ,  274. 
Sweeney,  Jas.  B.,  304. 
Sweeney,  Owen,  273. 
Sword  presentations,  153. 
Syms,  Chas.,  156. 
Syms,  Thos.  J.,  170,  289. 

Tabor,  Angon,  260. 

Tanner,  H.,  262. 

Tape  factory,  192. 

Tapier,  Alonzo,  171. 

Targert,  A.  S.,  233,  260. 

Taverns  established,  by  R.  Heamstreet, 

36,  85 :  Dyer  &  Williams,  43 ;  Van 

Der  Mark,  43,  44. 
Taylor,  Aionzo,  171. 


Taylor,  Ammon,  171 . 

Taylor,  Edward,  50. 

Taylor,  Jacob  A.,  171,  275. 

Taylor,  John  II.,  171. 

Taylor,  Joseph,  289. 

Taylor,  Radcliffe,  288. 

Taylor,  Rev.  Geo.  I.,  33. 

Taylor,  Robert,  171,  263,  275. 

Telegraph  established,  133. 

Tel  fair,  Wm.  H.,  171. 

Temperance  Societies,  261,262. 

Temple,  Capt,  F.,  149. 

Ten  Eyck,  A.,  261. 

Ten  Eyck,  Abram,  235. 

Ten  Eyck,  Albert,  155,  181,  235,  260. 

Ten  Eyck,  Alexander,  270. 

Ten  Eyck  Axe  Manufacturing  Co.,  190, 

222,  235,  245. 
Ten  Eyck,  Geo.,  155. 
Ten  Eyck,  Jacob  H.,  67. 
Ten  Eyck,  Jonas,  235,  245,  254. 
Ten  Eyck,  W.  J.  &  Co.,  176,  179. 
Tenney,  A.  &  J.,  81. 
Tenny  &  Cowles,  81. 
Terry,  Ira,  133,  284. 
'1  hayer,  H.  B.,  126. 
Thibadeau,  Julian,  264. 
Third  Separate  Co.,  232,  262. 
Thomas,  Nathan,  254. 
Thomas,  Rev.  Geo.  C.,  261. 
Thompson,  F.,  139. 
Thompson,  Geo.,  156. 
Thompson,  Geo.  E.,  244 ;  &  Horrocks, 

212. 

Thompson,  Hugh,  153,  180,  287. 
Thompson,  Jas.  L.,  244. 
Thompson,  John,  155. 
Thompson,  John  L.,  222. 
Thompson,  R.  H.,  176. 
Thompson,  Rev.  R.,  126,  253. 
Thorn,  Wm.  E.,  194,  209,  210,  241,  243, 

249,  301. 

Thornton,  Pat'k,  299. 
Thread  factory,  115,  120. 
Thurman,  R.  II.,  190,  244. 
Tighe,  John,  173,  305. 
Tillinghast,  John,  53,  63. 
Tivoli  Mill.    See  Hoot. 
Tobacco  factory,  120,  128. 
Tobin,  John,  288. 
Tobin,  Robert,  171. 
Tompkins,  Monroe,  171,  254. 
Tompkins,,  Wesley,  171.  275. 
Torongeau,  Louis,  171,  275. 
Torrey,  Geo.  W.,  171. 
Tourvillc,  Chas.,  171. 
Town  Hall  proposed,  192,  193. 
Tracy,  Dr.  L.  M.,  54,  57. 
Tracy,  John,  171. 
Tracy,  Pat'k,  171. 
Traver,  James,  156. 
Travers,  Michael,  171. 
Travis,  Chas.  S.,  171,  2RO,  262,  303. 
Travis,  Jacob,  113,  123,  135,   210,   216, 

254,  296,  301. 
Travis,  Michael,  303. 
Travis,  Wm.  C.,  300,  302,  303. 
Tremain,  John  M.,  80. 
Trim,  John,  155. 
TrippDr.  J.  H.,  273. 
Tripp,  Wm.,  171. 


INDEX. 


325 


Trojan  Alley,  103. 

Trost,  Henry,  224. 

Trost  &  Bezner.  204,  218,  247. 

Troy,  John,  171. 

Troy  Manufacturing  Co.,  77,  115,  179, 

244. 

Trull,  John,  278. 
Trull,  S.  D.,  278. 
Trull,  Stevens  V.,  148,  150, 151, 171,  278, 

296. 

Trull  street,  229. 
Trustees,  Board  of,  first  elected,  96; 

deadlock  in,  174. 
Tubbs,  James,  2(!3;  &  Severson,  127, 219, 

246. 

Tubbs,  Rev.  Mr.,  253. 
Tunnel,  of  Cohoes  Co.,  239. 
Turner,  Adam,  171,  278. 
Tuthill,  Clarence,  171. 
Tuthill,  Daniel  D.,  171,  277. 
Tuthill,  Edward,  171. 
Twelvetrees,  Edward,  280. 
Twichell  property,  180. 
Twining  &  Alden,  85. 
Twist,  Sylvanus,  260. 
Tymerson,  P.  G.,  262. 

Dhl,  bred'k  S.,  300. 
Underbill,  L.,  156. 
Upham,  Fred'k  W.,  300. 
Upham,  Geo.  W.,  171,  286. 
Upham,  Jacob,  272,  295. 
Upham,  Willard,  171. 

Vail,  A.  C.,  198. 

Vail,  Chas.,  156. 

Valley,  Louis,  260. 

Van  Arnam,  Abram  H.,  295. 

Van  Arnam,  Alonzo,  155. 

VanAuken,  D.    H.,  139,143,  156,  157, 

182,  203,  204,  210,  227,  240,  247,  252, 
Van  Auken,  Henry,  99,  107,  295,  296, 

297. 
Van  Benthuysen,  Chas.,  101,  173,  179, 

211. 

Van  Benthuyseu,  Jas.  D.,  152, 171,  304. 
Van  Beuthuysen,  Myron,  152,  171,  260, 

263,  304. 

Van  Bnren,  Rev.  John,  252. 
Van  Brunt,  Rev.  R.,  141,  145. 
Van  Denberg,  Douw,  271. 
Van  Denberg  family,  15. 
Van  Denberg,  Henry,  254. 
Van  Denberg,  Jacob,  33. 
Van  Denberg,  John  W.,  283. 
Van  Denberg,  Wm.  H.,  171,  275. 
Van  Dercar,  Leonard,  95, 131,  297,  300. 
Van  Dercar,  Thos.,  137. 
Van  Dercook,  C.,  303. 
Van  Dercook,  Geo.   171,  262,  300,305 
Van  Dercook,  John,  273. 
Van  Dercook,  John  H.,  171. 
Van  Dercook,  Peter,  Jr.,  300. 
Van  Dercook,  Peter,  Sen.,  291. 
Van  Der  Mark,  A.,  69. 
Van  Der  Mark  family,  29,  54. 
Van  Der  Mark,  G.,  155. 
Van  Der  Mark,  James,  171. 
Van  Der  Mark,  John,  98,  279,  297. 
Van  Der  Mark,  Sylvester,  57. 
Van  Der  Werken,  Abram,  298,  304. 


Van  Der  Werken,  Adam,  122,  285,  300. 
Van  Der  Werken,  Henry  J.,  293. 

Van  Der  Werken,  Isaac,  55. 
Van  Der  Werken,  Jacob,  49,  54,  55,  70, 
268. 

Van  Der  Werken,  James,  171. 

Van  Der  Werken,  John  B.,  57,  70.71, 
270. 

Van  Der  Werken,  Wm.  H.,  98,  271. 

Van  Deusen,  John,  303. 

Van  Dwyer, ,  78.. 

Van  Hagen,  Jesse  D.,  171,  273. 

Vanlouven,  Nathaniel,  171. 

Van  Natten,  Isaac,  297. 

Van  Ness,  John,  296, 297.  298. 

Van  Ness,  Zalmon,  152. 

Van  Noorstrand,  J.  J.,  17. 

Van  Olinda  family,  15, 18. 

Van  Rensselaer  block,  92,  116. 

Van  Rensselaer  House,  fire  at,  104. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Stephen.  28,  46,  47,48, 
65,  67,  101,  240. 

Van  Reeth,  Rev.  Bernard,  91,  254. 

Van  Santvoord,  John,  84, 88,  95,  100, 107, 
110,  112,  281,  295. 

Van  Schaick,  C.  H.,  288. 

Van  Schaick  family,  16,  17,  22. 

Van  Schaick  house,  22,  24,  32. 

Van  Schaick's  Island,  16,  17,  29,  32 ; 
bridge  to,  210,  234 ;  bridge  to,  pro 
posed,  90. 

Van  Schaick  patent,  52. 

Van  Schoonhoven,  Guert,  17,  52. 

Van  Schoonhoven,  Jacobus,  37,  46. 

Van  Steenberg  W.,  171. 

Van  Vechten,  Teunis,  67, 113,  240. 

Van  Vliet,  Geo.  E.,  171,  274. 

Van  VI let,  Isaac,  114. 

Van  Woert,  Stephen  P.,  273. 

Van  Zandt,  Gilbert  I.,  284. 

Varin,  Dr.  J.,  285. 

Vaughan,  Charles  II.,  290. 

Velocipedes,  introduced,  198. 

Veneering  mill,  65,  80,  120,  128. 

Vermilyea,  Gilbert  H.,  297,  298,  299. 

Vermilyca,  Le  Roy,  152,  171,  250,  262. 

Viegle,  John,  254. 

Vincent,  Hiram,  171. 

Visscher,  John  W.,  282. 

Vosburgh,  Philip,  270. 

Vredenberg,  L.,  194,  259. 

Wadsworth,  Ebenezer,  260. 

Wager,  E.  G.,  233. 

Wager,  Geo.  H.,  156,  182,  190,  192,  250, 

296,  297,  298,  300,  302. 
Wager  Hook  &  Ladder  Co.,  232,  259. 
Wakeman,   John,   175,  178,    216,    244, 

299. 

Walbridge,  E.  W.,  38. 
Walker,  Isaac,  172. 
Waldron,  Rev.  C.  N.,  110,  145,  180,  252, 

272. 

Wall,  J.,  172. 
Wallace,  James,  286. 
Walsh,  Michael,  292. 
Walsh,  Wm.,  155. 
Walters,  Thos.,  Lieut.,  172,  275. 
Wands,  Dr.  A.,  284. 
Wands,  Jas.  B.,  172. 
Ward,  Edward,  305. 


326 


INDEX. 


Ward,  John,  286. 

Ward   &  Robinson,   132. 

Wards,  constituted,  125  ;  changes    in, 

227. 

Warhurst,  Geo.  175,  192,  212. 
Warhtirst,  Samuel,  171. 
Waring,  Franklin,  114,  270,  295. 
Waring  &  Bobbins,  85. 
War  meeting,  in  1861,  148 ;  in  1862, 151 ; 

in  1863,  '65,  157,  158. 
Warner,  Rev.  Mr.,  253. 
Warner,  Wm.,  260,  263,  299. 
Warp  &  Thread  Mill,  206,  247. 
Warwick,  John  P.,  98. 
Water  act  passed,  129. 
Water  Commissioners,  suits  of,  144. 
Waterford,  16. 

Waterford  &  Cohoes  H.  R.  R.,  178. 
Water  fund,  230,  231. 
Waterhonse,  Job.  172. 
Waterhouse,  Wm.,  285. 
Waterman,  F.  Y.,  43,  54,  58,  250. 
Waterman,  Geo.  Jr.,  244,  261. 
Waters,  James,  298. 
Watervliet,  city  of,  192. 
Watervliet  Mill,  built,  111,  115  ;  leased, 

175,  191. 
Water  Works,  company  formed,  128; 

completion  of,  139 ;  enlargement  of, 

195,  203;    established,  99,   100;    of 

Cohoes  Co.,  sold,  131. 
Watt,  Henry,  254. 
Watt,  James,  254. 
Way,  Francis,  285. 
Webber,  Chas.,  156. 
Webber,  John  P.,  155,  302. 
Weed,  Becker  &  (Jo.,  64,  207- 
Weed  &  Becker  MTg  Co.,  227,  245. 
Weed,  Wm.  H.,  64,  245. 
Weidman,  Abram,  71. 
Weidman,  Malachi,  153,  156,  159,  172, 

226,  262, 296. 
Weidman,  Paul,  270. 
Weidman,  Wm.,  172. 
Weir,  Robert,  252,  263. 
Welch,  Ed  ward,  262,  298. 
Welch,  John,  172,  278. 
We.ch,  Nicholas,  172. 
Welch,  Wm.,  296. 
Wells,  Chas.,  261. 
Wells,  Lewis,  114,  300. 
Wells,  Rev.  G.  A.,  253. 
Welton,  Pred'k,  172. 
Welton,  John,  297. 
Western  avenue,  219. 
Weston,  S.  J.,  132. 
Westover,  Charles,  277. 
Westover,  Chas.  E.,  172. 
Westover,  J.,  171,  297. 
Whale,  stranded  in  river,  5,  6. 
Whalen,  Daniel,  286. 
Whalen,  James,  285. 
Wheel  factory,  120, 128, 176 ;  established, 

115. 

Wheeler,  Ezra  J.,  286. 
Wheeler,  Nathaniel,  53,  64. 
Wheeler,  Wm.  J.,  192,  286. 
Whipple,  Madison,  172. 
White,  Canvass,  28,  47,  48,  52,  65,  116, 

240,  265,  266,  2S4. 
White,  Christopher,  271. 


White,  G.  K.,  115. 

White,  Hugh,  27,  50,  52,  57,  61,  67,  101, 

113,  128,  133,  178.  240,  241,  266,  284. 
White,  John,  172. 
White,  Miles,  76,  91,  97,  96, 100,  110, 113, 

115,  116,  117,  295. 
White,  Mrs.  Hugh,  270. 
White,  Nelson,  303,  305. 
White,  Olmsted  &  Co.,  76,  84,  85,  87. 
White,  Reuben,  260 
White,  Reuben  P.,  268. 
White,  Rev.  Myron,  253. 
White  street,  103 ;  bridge.  191 ;  paved, 

219. 

White,  Wm.  M.,  151,  178. 
Whitehill,  Wm.,  263,  283,  302,  305. 
Whiting,  Mr.,  59. 
Whiting's  Factory,  45. 
Wheelwright,  David,  156. 
Whitman,  Pardon,  53. 
Whitney,  Geo.,  172,  304. 
Whitney,  James,  172. 
Whitney,  Morris,  156. 
Whitney,  Sheldon,  172. 
Whitney,  Silas,  139. 
Whittle,  Robert,  292,  298. 
Wickes,  Van  Wyck,  67. 
Wickes,  Eliphalet.  67. 
Wickham,  Jos.,  172,  277. 
Wightraan,  Jonathan,  115,  120,  273. 
Wilber,  John,  254. 
Wilcox,  Alex.,  172. 
Wilcox,  Chas.,  302. 
Wilcox,  RictTd,  156. 
Wilcox,  Rodney,  175,  260,  302. 
Wild,   Alfred,  112.  128,    129,    143,   144, 

152,  187,  240,  301. 
Wild,  Nathan,  112. 
Wild,  Wm.,  156. 
Wilder,  Daniel,  299. 
Wilder,  Nathaniel,  273. 
Wilder,  Rev.  S.,  252. 
Wild  ricks,  Thos.,  172. 
Wilkins.  Egbert  J.,  149,  298. 
Wilkins,  J.  R.,  69. 
Wilkinson,  Alberts.,  57. 
Wilkinson,  David,  48,  53,  56,  57,  60,  64, 

96,  260,  268,  287. 
Wilkinson,  John  L.,  64. 
Wilkinson     Machine     shop,     57,    82; 

burned,  137. 
Wilkinson,  Miss,  57. 
Wilkinson,  Samuel,  97,  98,  100,  283, 
Williams,  David,  228, 263;  &  Eagan,  249. 
Williams,  Jones  &  Ryan,  176. 
Williams,  Matthias,  57. 
Williams,  Robert,  69,  85,  95. 
Williams,  Wm.,  139,  156,  276,  293. 
Wilmot,  Alonzo,  98. 
Wilson,  James,  172, 
Wilson,  James  R.,  276. 
Wilson,  Supply  F..  40,  97,  273. 
Winans,  Henry,  268. 
Winans,  W.  H.  S.,  88,  97. 
Winnie,  Ammon,  155. 
Winnie,  Jacob,  34. 
Winnie,  Killian  F.,  294. 
Winnie,  Illie,  Jr.,  67. 
Winterbottom,  James,  291. 
Winters,  John,  172. 
Wiswall,  Ebenezer,  27,  28. 


INDEX. 


327 


Witbeck's  Block,  built,  199. 

Witbeck,  Dr.  C.  E.,  263,  302,  303. 

Witbeck,  Francis,  292. 

Witbeck,  Gerret,  27. 

Witbeck,  G.  L.,  131, 136. 

Witbeck,  Walter,  287,  288,  296,  297,  298, 

299,  301. 

Wolcott  i'amily,  43. 
Wolford,  E.,  133. 
Wolford  &  Stephenson,  111. 
Wood,  Giles  B.,  172. 
Wood,  John,  172,  275. 
Wood,  Joseph.  255. 
Woolen  Mill,  81. 
Woolhizer,  Fred'k,  172. 
Wordeu,  Joseph  H.,  268. 
Worden,  Lorenzo,  297. 
Wormwood,  C.  F.,  171. 
Worsted  Co.,  81,  87. 
Worthen,  Wm.  E.,  182. 


Wrigley,  Lees,  263,  305. 
Wycoff,  H.  J.,  48,  67,  240. 
Wyckoff,  Rev.  I.  N.,  145. 

Yale,  James,  268. 

Yates,  Oapt.  J.  L.,  149, 172. 

Yates,  O.  P.,  85. 

Youmans,  E.  L.,  115. 

Young,  James,  172,  274. 

Young,  Wm.  H.,  193. 

Younglove,  M.  S.,  143,  246,  299,  301. 

Younglove,  T.  G.,  113,  117,119,  120,121, 

123,  127,  128,  129,  136,  140,  142,  143, 

148,  152,  178,  182,  204,  209,  216,  241, 

246,  247,  250,  293,  297,  301. 
Young  Men's  Association,  officers  of, 

1847,  188. 
Young    Men's    Christian    Association, 

121,  138,  187. 


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